AH, BUT I RANT....


	-His lordship Chaos-

	Greetings.
	For those of you who know me as the infamous His lordship
Chaos of "Curse of the Fanboys!!!", you'll know that Tales of the
Dreamworld is a far cry from my hyper fanfiction parody series.
Diversity is a good thing, and can certainly be a healthy outlet.
While Fanboys! is something designed to let me laugh, the Dreamworld
is a dark and brooding saga designed to exorcise those fantasies we
all experience as children.
	I suppose I could just blame my imagination for never letting
me truly sleep. Truth be known, the Dreamworld began almost 4 years
ago. Yet in the beginning, its form was very different from what it
has now become. Over the past 3 years as I wrote various short
stories, the concept of the Dreamworld underwent metamorphosis after
metamorphosis.
	In the Dreamworld's first incarnation, there was very little
life there; just a place of darkness I called "the expansive nothing".
Silvermanes were the first known residents I created there, followed
swiftly by the Bogeymen. Later on the Dreamworld expanded,
encompassing those possessing high forms of magic within them. And
then ultimately it found new life as a work of Sailor Moon
fanfiction.
	Strangely enough, I never expected it to reach beyond the very
first tale in which Sorata and Makoto fall in love. However, it
would seem inspiration had other plans for me. All epic things in
this world seem to start out that way: very small, and very unaware
of the grandeur that is to come. Thus far a total of 11 tales have
been crafted, the 11th one being a final trilogy. Granted the end is
still left open enough for me to begin anew, but that bridge will be
crossed when I get there.



	-Sailor Moon Fanfiction-

	Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of the Dreamworld
is its connection to the Earthworld. While heavily tied to the
Sailor Moon Anime (the original Japanese version, which I personally
swear by), the Dreamworld could very easily be taken apart and, with
a little tailoring, be made to stand as its own series.
	Sailor Moon was one of my first experiences with Anime--and
the series still remains one of my top favourites. Since then I have
expanded my repertoire in Anime to include new and old series. I have
become an otaku, a rabid fan of Anime. And typically enough, when
one becomes a fan, one craves the chance to write fanfiction.
	Now if you've read either Tales of the Dreamworld or Curse of
the Fanboys!, odds are it looks like I have a natural talent at
writing. Don't be fooled; it's taken me 6 years of all-out hobby
writing to get this far. There are a few first attempts at Sailor
Moon fanfiction which, if you dug up, I would completely disavow to
having written them. Trust me: they're *that* bad. But in practicing,
I've honed my skills and found my niche.
	Why write Sailor Moon fanfiction?
	Well, my response to that question is: why not?
	There's a great variety of ways to take the plot in a series
like Sailor Moon that you just can't get away with in other Animes.
There's humour, drama, action. You can internalize a character and
see what makes them tick. With the earth an apparent magnet for evil
forces, the possibilities for new enemy threats are limitless. And
there's always been enough humour in the series to carry over into
fanfics.
	The allure of past and fantastic worlds is something that
seems to capture the child's imagination in all of us. The Silver
Millennium that Naoko Takeuchi created is certainly no exception.
You've got past lives once lived in magnificent palaces on other
worlds, royal courts and intrigue, and the ongoing battle between
good and evil. It's not too hard for one to take themselves away
from this world and time, and place themselves into Naoko's Moon
Kingdom.
	You could find yourself a maid or courtesan, or a visiting
ambassador to the palace. The Silver Millennium, as well as the
future Crystal Tokyo, leaves a lot to be envisioned by the writer. A
few key events are really all you have to be aware of, and that's
it. Think of the fun you could have running around in such a grand
and exotic realm, regardless of your own chosen identity.
	This leads me into perhaps the greatest reason for writing SM
fanfics as this: the plethora of chances to introduce new
characters. If you tallied up the number of fics which incorporate
just the original cast, and set that against the number of fics
which introduce new characters (here I'm thinking primarily of
Sailor Senshi and not villains), you would no doubt find the
"newcomer" fics outnumbering the "established" fics 2:1.
	Typically, any fic dealing with a newcomer allied to the
Sailor Senshi is some form of self insertion. Now now, don't feel
ashamed; we've all been guilty of doing it at least once in our
lives. My first fanfics were quite literal self-insertions of
myself. Hell, a few authors have been made famous for doing it, such
as Greenbeans.
	Now is not really the time to rant about the perils of self-
insertion; we've all encountered fics where SI works, and other fics
where SI bombs miserably. God-complexes aside, I think we see in
each of the Senshi something we all strive to become: a nobility of
the soul, fighting for something we all believe in (usually love),
and being given the power to blow the crap out of something.
	These are usually the draws to self-insertion into the Sailor
Moon universe. It could be argued that Tales of the Dreamworld is an
SI-type fanfic. After all, most of the Senshi do wind up with
soulmates; who's to say this isn't me padding my own ego.
	If I might be allowed to put forward a slice of personal
opinion, I would argue against such an accusation. Each of the
guardian angels are completely different characters, and if there
was to be any comparison between them and myself, the gap between us
would testify to my innocence of playing author avatar. I am a
writer; I write these stories because I need to have a creative
outlet. This could be called a compulsive disorder; it's gotten to
the point where I have to write to exist.
	And I do take my writing seriously...well, most of the time.
Sorata, Kishi, Karasu, Meikyu, Okami, and the others are all unique
individuals. In a sense, I did not create them. They allowed me to
bring them to life. The stories also seem to write themselves; I've
just become the outlet. It's a strange symbiotic affair an author
has with their work. Time and time again, I've found it at work in
the Dreamworld.
	As for the characters, while each of them represents something
I strive to hold, they are not me. Sorata embodies the frantic
romantic I'd like to be. Kishi holds a dark side I wouldn't mind
having from time to time. Meikyu has all the suave and charm with
the ladies that I think I lack. Okami's vicious dedication is what I
want to have for my soulmate.
	Karasu is perhaps the slight exception; more than anyone else,
he holds the closest personality akin to my own. And yet, in an
ironic twist, he's the only one who doesn't end up with a soulmate.
He was going to be with Rei, but halfway through The Wanderer's
Tale, I realized it just wouldn't work. Perhaps that is the charisma
he holds: Karasu seems like the one who deserves someone to be with
more than anyone else, and is denied. The tragic romantic hero, he
wanders alone across the Dreamworld in search of someone to call his
beloved.


	-Magik-

	In case you've been wondering, no, it's not a mistake. The
spelling of 'magik' with a 'k' is indeed deliberate. This was
intentional from the very start, and shall continue to the very end.
In an online manga I'm writing for a friend, I had one character
define magik as such:

	"Magic is fanciful thinking, a harmless use of illusions and
	 a few powers you humans possess. Magic belongs more in a
	 book. But as for magik, its power is beyond your grasp. The
	 oldest of magiks are always the most powerful, the most
	 alluring. Those who know about the true Faery tales know that
	 within those tales, the only true magic to wield is that
	 called 'magik'. It is the purest form of power known to our
	 world."

	"Cast a spell on a princess, and what you speak of is magic: a
	 simple act and children's fantasy created by your forefathers.
	 It is harmless. The real stuff is magik, pure and unbridled...
	 and destructive. There is nothing childish about it. You of
	 all people should know that by now."

	Now this might cause you to ask whether or not I believe in
magic? I dislike stating whether or not I believe in such a thing;
the concept of magic over the centuries has been used and worn, its
true meaning lost. Ask someone what evil is, or what good is, and
see if you get a straight answer. Like magic, those words have
become too relative in today's world. Any desired impact using these
words is forever lost.
	So magik was fashioned.
	I have always had a love of fantasy, of worlds so far away yet
as close as our imaginations can embrace them. It has always been an
ongoing theme in my stories where the character in question
discovers that the real word is not as real as they might first
seem. It becomes a time to question reality and one's beliefs. The
real becomes surreal, and everything is lost in a line of fiction
that gets blurred beyond recognition.
	That is the power of magik.


	-Anime-

	Japanese Animation is unique from its North American
counterparts in the fact that it is very adult. Series that air on
primetime in Japan would never be shown here until early morning. I
find Anime refreshing: it doesn't treat the viewer like a child, and
thus it doesn't treat itself as being childish. Storylines are
inventive and usually not the same plot being repeated over and over
to a different story arc.
 	The original uncut Sailor Moon features a lot more violence
and blood than you think. In the final 3 eps of the first season
(cut down to 2 here), the Senshi all die. DIE. No journeying to
another dimension--unless you count that dimension as being the
afterlife. Usagi is visited by the ghosts of her four fellow
soldiers before facing Beryl. And when the showdown between Usagi
and Mamoru begins, it isn't a pretty sight. That scene more than any
other got edited; Mamoru kicks, slaps, throws, strangles and tries to
impale Usagi numerous times.
	This year a few Anime movies will be coming to North American
theatres: Perfect Blue, X, and Mononoke Hime. I've seen all three,
and they are not for the faint of heart. Mononoke Hime was meant to
be director Hayao Miyuzaki's final work; it is extremely violent and
the ending is far from being a happy one. This coming from the same
studio which brought us Kiki's Delivery Service. X, based on Clamp's
manga series of the same letter, is total Armageddon; don't ask who
dies or even who dies first. Ask who dies in how many pieces. A
beautiful movie, and my favourite manga series, but very dark and
brutal.
	And as for Perfect Blue...that has to be seen and experienced.
Nothing I could say would do the movie justice. This one is creepy,
surreal, violent, and is one of the first Animes to feature full
frontal nudity with pubic hair. Mind you, said scene is just the
heroine posing in nude stills for some magazine shots.
	The adult levels that can and have been achieved in Anime are
not something to be taken lightly. Hentai aside, much of the Anime
we would see as being made for adults I have found truly satisfying.
Vision of Escaflowne, Evangelion, and Fushigi Yugi are but a few
examples I'd like to give.
	I enjoy the fact that the audience is not treated like some
child who can be entertained by the same episodic formula. My
respect for Anime and its creators has been passed down into my
choice of style for writing the Dreamworld saga. This is one of the
reasons why it has the R rating tagged onto it.



	-The Tales of the Dreamworld-

	I felt it best to cover the nature of both Anime and "magik"
before tackling this. The Dreamworld is indeed a grand vision, and a
dark one at that. The R rating attests to this. I will not apologize
for making these tales the way they are. In truth I cannot envision
them as having unfolded any other way.
	The real world is not a nice place to exist; the danger we all
face is not avoided in the Dreamworld. Death, violence, and
sacrifice are made all the more poignant in a series which doesn't
try to hide them. Call it a flair for the dramatic, I suppose, but
it's there in my stories.
	My use of the word "magik" over "magic" is just one facet
which reflects this. Magik as described earlier is a dark and
dangerous breed of power. Magik can give life and take it away. And
thus it is so in Tales of the Dreamworld. The heightened powers give
way to heightened tension in battles. This is evident enough when
one looks at the battles already fought, whether it's between Sora
and Kishi, Okami against Mistress 9, or the Wanderer against the
Shadowqueen.
	Yet I'm not about to write violence for the sake of violence.
That's not my style. In these tales, it's a fact of life that both
the Sailor Senshi and the guardian angels must deal with. No one
goes out looking for a fight, but when the fight comes to them, hell
hath no fury like a soldier enraged.
	The sexual content is something else I haven't overblown just
for the sake of having it there. Yes, there is sexual tension. I'm
not denying it; read The Labyrinth's Tale or The Princess' Tale if
you doubt me. But within these tales, the only thing I've wanted to
do is give sex the proper respect that should be placed on it. Sex
is not rampant and overly descriptive here like it is in hentai
fanfics. I have made it my business to write it as tastefully and
as romantic as I possibly can; here in my stories, it is the
culmination of the joining of bodies and souls, united in magik and
love.
	As writers of fanfiction, we do have certain responsibilities
to exercise. I don't think I need to state them here: we should
intuitively know them ourselves. And I believe that those authors
who have held themselves accountable to their writing, who have
written to make a great work even greater, are the ones who have
risen to become the most acclaimed and noted fanfic authors the Net
has to offer.

	Perhaps I have ranted enough for now.

	Until next we meet.

	Ja....


=====================================================================

				-PRELUDE-


Welcome.

Welcome to my world, the Dreamworld, our world.

A place beyond time. A realm just beyond our grasp. A world filled
with a magik that the Earthworld has long since forgotten. How easy
it is to run from our fears by simply forgetting. The pain is numbed
by false memories of better moments, for in those we can see a hope
to our lives. Yet there are those perhaps blessed or perhaps cursed
who remember everything.

These souls reside within the Dreamworld. Angel, demon, wanderer and
wolf: they all share a common link. It is with a group of female
soldiers in this world, the Earthworld. And all too quickly the
nexus which binds them all together shall reach out and touch you as
well.

For those of you who have already experienced the Dreamworld, I
trust your return to these realms shall be as inspiring as the
previous ones. For those of you who have stumbled into this domain
for the first time, let me extend to you my sincerest greetings.

I am His lordship Chaos.

Each of these stories are unto themselves unique and apart from each
other, yet they join together to form a larger and grander saga. To
skip one tale would only lead to confusion in later tales. For what
might seem as being trivial today could become the key to unlocking
the mysteries that unfold tomorrow.

But for now, delve into the eternal midnight, and the kingdoms that
have always laid beneath the moon's forever night. It is time for us
to build emerald cities from grains of sand, and to discover what
it's like to fly with angel's wings.

The Dreamworld is a place that weaves magik like a tapestry, letting
lives and destinies intertwine together. Who knows? Perhaps tonight
will be the night that you find yourself being caught inside a tale
all your own. But until that time comes, may you all find a dream to
dance within.

Oyasumi nasai....


=====================================================================

Dreamworld - 1st Night - Raven's Tale
Rated R

	Romance: n: (1) a medieval tale in verse or prose
	  based on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or
	  the supernatural. (2) something that lacks basis
	  in fact. (3) a passionate love affair.

				-Webster's Seventh Collegiate Dictionary



	Just as every breath possess an instance that can be brought 
to life in words, the event becomes a chapter in a book, a story for 
others to gaze upon and be swallowed whole within the tale.
	A realm beyond the waking hours, forged from the magik of a 
thousand dreamers and their dreams. Within every soul lies a story 
to tell, each event a tale to give unto others.
	These tales, both surreal and sensual, are but a few of many 
chapters in a world given breath by a creator. Her name is Naoko
Takeuchi. The people and their lives are of her heart and soul. 
They belong in her embrace. But the raven angels, these knights and 
warriors and their Dreamworld belong to another, and they are of my 
skin and soul. I embrace their world and their shadows as my own 
children.
	I ask that none may steal any of them away from their 
creators. The world of the Moon Princess and her royal court belong 
to Naoko Takeuchi. Their hearts and souls belong to her; they are a 
part of her stories. But the realm of the waking dreamers, and both 
the angels and the demons that exist within them, are a part of my 
own story.  Milady Naoko's princesses belong in their castles 
beyond the moon, and my raven warriors belong with the Torii's 
beyond our dreams. 
	One of honour does not become a petty thief; I ask for your 
requests if you wish my raven angels to wander into other worlds 
and other stories.

	-His lordship Chaos  (hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com)




	"To sleep, perchance to dream."
				-Hamlet


	"I stole forth dimly in the dripping pause
	Between two downpours to see what there was.
	And a masked moon had spread down compass rays
	To a cone mountain in the midnight haze.
	As if the final estimate were hers;
	And as it measured in her calipers,
	The mountain stood exalted in its place.
	So love will take between the hands a face. . . ."

				-Robert Frost, "Moon Compasses"



	I have heard legend of a realm that exists beyond the borders 
of the world we know and live within. Beyond our sleep and our 
dreams there lies another world forged of magik and honour.
	Very few have ever awoken within this realm knowing that they 
had crossed through boundaries and gateways. Yet those who are 
gifted with the chance to glimpse into such a beautiful dream 
possess a magik themselves.
	For over a millennium I have wandered through this place, 
hearing tales of both wonder and horror. My own two eyes have 
looked upon heaven and hell, and their familiars. And sometimes I 
hear of those who find the power to cross through the gateways.  
	Sometimes if they find themselves in the world of waking 
dreamers, they encounter the souls who are forever standing guard 
to protect such beautiful dreams from a darkness of evil bent on 
consuming everything.
	These guardians are solitary, both warriors and mages, with 
human hearts and human souls. Their feelings are ours. So too are 
their struggles, their pain, their fears.
	They are the raven angels.
	Let me tell you a story...


	THE RAVEN'S TALE


	It was raining, though what fell was not rain. Petals. Cherry 
blossoms. Hundreds of pink, fragile blossoms swirling all around 
her. They were the only true colour here.
	A strange, dark realm. There was no visible beginning or end, 
no walls or ground or sky. There was only a darkness that was not 
black but of a deep evening blue or of the water in the depths of 
the oceans.
	One solitary shaft of light emerged, and she could see 
herself. The cherry blossoms became a pale white as they rained 
down, decorating her long, chestnut brown hair.
	She slowly turned a full circle, her body moving with swift, 
graceful elegance. Her feet dangled in the darkness. There was the 
sensation of being liquid, as if the air was hers to control. As if 
she could hover or fly--or was already floating.
	Could such a place on earth exist?
	Or was this even reality?
	"A...dream?" she asked herself.
	The blue darkness melted away, and a horizon stretched out 
before and beyond her. In the far distance were jagged peaks of 
mountains, their sides a hazy grey from the light of a full moon 
barely over the highest peak.
	The rays of moonlight also cast an eerie crimson glow upon the 
massive torii at the base of the mountains. Alone it stood, the 
gateway between worlds. The sensation of floating faded slowly, and 
she could feel her feet once again touching solid earth. A pathway 
of ancient cobblestone led down the slope to the torii, but she did 
not choose to follow it.
	Instead she waited.
	The night skies were clear and rippling with hues of blue. 
Only one solitary cloud ventured across the expanse of such a sky, 
the cluster of mist sluggish if not frozen in space. And from 
distant worlds in distant galaxies a thousand stars sparkled like 
grains of sand in the sunlight.
	It was still raining cherry blossoms as she settled onto the 
cobblestone path, her weight shifting about to the sudden pull of 
gravity. The midnight wind was cool, causing her to shiver slightly 
underneath her diaphanous nightgown. The folds of virginal white 
fabric rustled in the breeze, and her long brown hair billowed out 
behind her shoulders.
	"What...is this place?" she whispered.
	If this was dream, then it was the most realistic one she had 
ever experienced in her life. This seemed to move beyond the 
borders of awake and asleep; she felt as if she had crossed through 
the boundaries between realms.
	The cobblestones beneath her bare feet were cold, though not 
harsh as she took one cautious step down the pathway. She took 
another, clutching the collar of her nightgown protectively as if 
it was a talisman.
	The torii seemed to loom before her, still bathed in an eerie 
crimson glow from the moonbeams. Then appeared a silhouette, a 
figure cloaked in a darkness that matched a sky without stars. 
	She froze.
	In this realm, dream or otherwise, she was not alone. Another 
soul had joined her--or else had called her to join and walk down 
the same cobblestone path.
	The figure turned, the rays of moonlight exiling the shadows 
and revealing a young man. Alone he stood beneath the torii, the 
delicate petals falling around him. 
	He could be no older nor younger than she. His face was 
beautiful, almost like a girl's. Strands of raven wing hair covered 
his head, growing into a slender, tapering braid that dangled at 
his chest. Within his eyes was a crimson colour to match the torii, 
yet there was no hostility. If anything, there was sadness.
	He was dressed in a loose, sleeveless vest that was tied at 
his waist by a crystal blue sash. The vest was white, outlined in 
black, the front loosely opened to display a tight-collared shirt 
that was silver, sparkling the like the distant oceans when struck 
by rays of the moon. His pants were midnight black, as were his 
boots.
	Around his arms were guards, black fabric holding thin armour 
plates to deflect blades and combat weapons; his fingers were left 
open and free. The armour plates shone brightly, casting 
reflections of light across the grassy slopes.
	His eyes blinked. The wind seized his garments, ruffling them 
in ripples and waves. His lips parted as if trying to speak but no 
words could be heard. There was hesitation in the effort, a 
question of acceptance.
	The cherry blossoms became water, cold and sad like the tears 
a broken soul cried. Her nightgown became damp, then soaked, 
clinging to her skin and bringing to light what was being near 
revealed by its diaphanous nature. She was oblivious to her body 
contours that the nightgown clung to.
	It was the young man she found herself gazing upon.
	"Who are you?" she called out.
	He turned his head, eyes locking onto hers. Within those 
crimson eyes was sadness, a longing that bridged realms but not 
lives. He stretched out a hand, trying to reach for her, trying to 
call her. One last chance, one to intertwine destinies and to cheat 
fate.
	Suddenly two enormous things spread out from his back, 
unfolding with a dull 'thwap'. She recoiled, stepping away as she 
realized they were wings. Feathers of a dove, the colour of a 
raven. And with them a fury of feathers that scattered in the winds 
and the rain, swarming past her.
	A tempest erupted, cold and harsh against her wet skin. The 
gales were biting, and the feathers seemed to be attacking her. She 
threw up her arms to shield her face, trying to move away. The 
onslaught continued.
	Then for one heartbeat she lowered her defenses as she saw the 
young man stretch out his hand further, trying to rescue her and 
pull her closer into his longing embrace.
	The boy's lips parted, forming a single word.
	"Makoto," he whispered.

	
	When she awoke, it was with a nightgown damp from the sweat 
that had poured out from her own body. Her heart was pounding 
fiercely within her ribcage, ready to explode. The threat of danger 
filled her body with adrenaline.
	She shivered.
	A place where it rained down the petals of the cherry blossom, 
where at the base of a mountain range there stood a lone torii, and 
with it a solitary soul. She had walked down that path, smelled the 
pure air, witnessed his wings.
	Yet this room was her own, the exact room she had seen when 
last she closed her eyes and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. 
Nothing had changed but the hour on the bedside clock.
	"A...a dream," she whispered hoarsely, trying to convince 
herself it was only that. That it was only that which was fantasy, 
which never truly existed.
	She gripped the sheets of her bed, and felt something crush 
within her balled fists. 
	Slowly she lifted her hands, opening up both palms before her 
face. A dozen of black, raven wing feathers were caught by a draft 
and lifted into the air, drifting across the room.


	Her friends noticed the changes in her later that day, when 
the darkness of an early morning had given way to the soothing heat
of a September sun. 
	A morning filled with classes had passed by like a distant 
dream, yet it was such a distant dream that filled her mind. Those 
raven feathers were still laying on her floor, a reminder of 
something crossed during the night. Nothing else could capture her 
attention save the young man beneath the torii.
	"Mako-chan?" the long-haired blonde asked. "Are you alright?"
	She looked up from the grass, nodding. It was a nod purely 
derived from a habitual action. Her true thoughts hidden inside, 
she tried to rediscover her friends.
	"I'm fine," she said.
	"You seemed...distant from all of us," the blue-haired genius 
said. "You've been that way all morning."
	"Are you sure nothing is bothering you?" the odango-haired 
blonde pressed. There was a genuine concern in the voice, concern 
directed to her.
	She nodded once more. "I've just been thinking."
	"About what?" the long-haired blonde asked.
	His eyes flashed before her mind. Crimson sadness, and strands 
of raven black hair that danced in the wind. She straightened away 
from her propped-up legs.
	"Someone I met," she answered.
	"Oh!" the long-haired blonde exclaimed in a teasing tone. "A 
new boyfriend?"
	She shook her head. "No..."
	"A new crush?" the odango-haired blonde asked.
	Again she shook her head. "No..."
	"Then who was it?" the blue-haired genius asked.
	She looked up at the rays of sunlight trickling down from the 
tangles mass of leaves held high in the tree over their heads. "I'm 
not sure I can describe it," she told her friends. "I'm not even 
sure if it really happened. It was a dream."
	"You dreamed of a cute guy?" the long-haired blonde pouted. 
"I'm jealous."
	"There was more," she countered, shaking her head.  
"Mountains, and a lone torii at their base. He was there, and he 
had a pair of raven wings stretching out from his back. Such 
sadness in his eyes..."
	Her voice trailed off.
	The three friends sat there next to her, eyes quizzical and 
hearts caught by the unfolding dream.
	"He called my name," she finished. "And when I awoke, I was 
holding the down of his wings in my palm."
	Silence reigned until the blue-haired genius spoke: "Perhaps 
it wasn't a dream."
	"How else could you explain it?" the long-haired blonde 
countered. "Mako-chan fell asleep and then woke up after this 
encounter. It had to have been a dream."
	"But when you wake up from a dream there should be no feathers 
in your hands that existed only within the dream," the blue-haired 
genius countered.
	"So romantic," the odango-haired blonde sighed. "Did he tell 
you his name?"
	She shook her head. "He could only call my name before the 
winds came. There was no time for anything else."
	They all fell silent once more.
	A solitary raven landed down next to them, stared in turn at 
every one of them. When its eyes fell to her, the raven's gaze 
held. And within those eyes she could see crimson sadness. Her 
breath was held in, and she leaned forward with a hand 
outstretched. She was beckoning for the raven to come closer.
	But with a loud caw the raven spread its wings and took to the 
air. She opened her mouth to call after the raven, but it was all 
but a shadow in the sky now. Their meeting, like the dream, had 
ended.


	Nothing more had been said of the dream for the remainder of 
the day, but everything else had faded in her memory. All she could 
think about was her dream, and the mysterious soul beneath the lone 
torii.
	A gateway.
	But a gateway to where? What did it bridge?
	She brushed out the last of her chestnut brown hair, let down 
from the ponytail for the night. Setting down the brush she pressed 
her hand against the fabric of her nightgown. Smooth and silken to 
the touch, she felt the warmth of her hand caress her breasts.
	Would he come tonight?
	Would she dream tonight?
	The time on the bedside clock read thirty minutes until the 
midnight hour. She gave it only a second glance, walking over to 
the window and peering out between the blinds.
	Like it had been when she walked up the steps after school, 
the raven still perched itself on the outside railing. The solitary
bird watched over her, flying away when she got too close and 
called it closer. 
	At this hour, in this night, she did not wish to try one more 
time and venture outside. The raven would surely take flight once 
again. She let it watch over her.
	Her eyes felt heavy, her body weary and full of fatigue. 
Though as she slipped underneath the covers of her bed, there was a 
new sense of anticipation. A question of returning to the 
mountains.
	The lights of the city outside managed to get a few stray 
beams onto her floor, but they were dim and scattered at best. As 
night settled into her apartment, she could feel herself slip away 
from the conscious world.
	Her eyes slowly closed and she slept.


	It was raining delicate petals of the cherry blossoms once 
more. She found their soft touch all over her body as she stood 
there once more at the top of a slope. Beneath her bare feet was 
the cobblestone path.
	Before here were the grey mountains, and their moonlight. The 
skies were clear again, though this time the moon was in its first 
quarter, a mere crescent now. It still was beautiful.
	Far off down the path laid the torii, its crimson outline 
catching her attention. The breeze was cool and she shivered 
slightly. The diaphanous nightgown pressed tightly against her 
chest with the winds, the contours of her breasts and belly 
revealed amidst ripples of fabric.
	The rain of petals came to a gradual end, and the air was 
clear once more. Yet many of the petals were still in her hair, 
pale and glistening with evening dew.
	Slowly she followed the cobblestone path down to the base of 
the mountains, to where the torii stood. As she neared it, the 
silhouette of a human figure emerged.
	It was the young man.
	He stood motionless beneath the gateway, head bowed in 
reverence, arms passively at his sides. She could see the large 
raven wings rustling at his back, the feathers fluttering in black 
shadows.
	His head tilted upwards, eyes opening to meet hers. There was 
joy in seeing her once more, yet there was still the crimson 
sadness that consumed if not devoured the joy moments after.
	This time she stretched out her hand, calling to him.
	He hesitated.
	"Please," she asked of him.
	Tears pooled in his eyes, his soul torn by emotions she could 
not yet understand. "Makoto," he whispered, turning away. Placing a 
hand against one of the Torii's poles he cried. His tears struck 
the cobblestones, soaking in.
	She approached.
	Tenderly she placed her hand in his shoulder in the hopes of 
comforting his fragile soul. He whirled at her touch, angrily 
slapping aside her gentle hand. Wings unfurled, sending up another 
cloud of dark feathers. For a moment his eyes were dark and 
vengeful, his chest lifting with heavy breaths.
	And then sadness returned, accompanied by regret. 
	"I'm sorry," he said. "Please, forgive me. It was uncalled 
for."
	His wings rustled, folding in behind his back. He seemed hurt, 
though more by his own actions. One hand gripping his other arm, he 
shifted positions. Eyes avoided hers.
	"It's alright," she assured him, holding out her hand. 
"Please," she asked once more.	
	Uncertain that her hand would melt away like water if he dared 
touch it, he slowly lifted his fingers to her palm. They touched, 
and it was smooth and gentle.
	Hands clasped, fingers laced together.
	The crimson sadness seemed to lift for that one shining 
moment, and she felt her own soul rise. This was a feeling unlike 
any other.
	Both hands now clasped, and they stared into each other's 
eyes. Looking into hers was like walking amidst a great forest, and 
into his witnessing a purifying blaze.
	Unclasping one hand, he ran his fingers though her long brown 
hair, slowly lifting them out to caress her cheek. He smiled, the 
tip of his index finger brushing against her lips. She sighed, her 
own free palm soaking up the warmth of his cheek.
	Suddenly a cold wind swept past them.
	For a split second he pulled her close to him, arms 
protectively around her waist and a defiant look in his eyes. The 
wind died out, but in its wake a gathering of ravens took to the 
skies from the grass.
	Like a dark cloud they settled atop the torii, staring down at 
the two. He could read what they had to say in their eyes, and it 
was a message he wished he could have never seen.
	He stepped back, the warmth of their two bodies pressed 
together fading and replaced with the cool night air. Sadly he 
lowered his head and turned away. "You must go now," he said 
quietly, hating the words he spoke.
	At first she was unable to understand. Then when she did, she 
was unable to accept them. "Why?" she asked, taking his hand in 
hers.
	"Because that is the way it has always been," he answered 
grimly. Whether it was by his own force or her own release, his 
fingers slipped free of hers.
	Already he was growing distant, the mountains fading into 
darkness as the moon and stars were swallowed up. The torii 
disappeared and all that remained was him.
 	He stretched out his arm to pull her back, but their fingers 
were met with passing, hers through his. He was becoming a ghost, 
unable to cross into her realm.
	"Makoto," he whispered sadly, desperately trying to reach out 
beyond the boundaries.
	But it was no use, and he too was slowly fading. 
	She tried to step forward and found herself only stepping 
back. They were separating, lost in solitude. And with it was lost 
that warm feeling of his touch.
	"Tell me your name!" she called out.
	Though his lips never moved, she heard his voice in her ears, 
inside her mind, before he vanished.
	"Sora," his voice came. "Please, Makoto, forgive me...."


	There were no feathers when she awoke this time. But her skin 
was tingling from his touch, warm and excited all over. She 
shivered, feeling a cold breeze pass her by.
	She had left a window open because of the sweltering heat, but 
at night the temperature had dropped. Had this roused her from her 
sleep, tearing her away from the dream?
	The bedside clock proclaimed four and a half hours into the 
morning.
	She rubbed her hands against her chest, her fingers tracing 
her breasts and belly beneath the nightgown. Reaching up she 
touched her lips; she could still feel his touch on her skin.
	"Sora," she whispered. Sora....


	There was no return to the mountains that night, and when 
morning came and the sun arose she found herself in the same bed in 
the same apartment as before. Nothing had changed.
	When she opened her front door to leave for school the raven 
was still there. It had kept up all through the night and when she 
approached it took to the skies in a fury of wings and feathers.
	Her world was like walking through another dream, and this did 
not go unnoticed by her friends. They were only able to confront 
her once more during the lunch hour when they had time to be alone 
and talk.
	"You're just like you were yesterday," the long-haired blonde 
said. 
	"Was it another dream?" the blue-haired genius asked.
	She nodded, pulling her knees up closer to her chest. "It was 
different this time. Our hands touched, and for a moment I thought 
I saw him smile."
	"I would love to have such a mystery guy in my life!" the 
odango-haired blonde sighed.
	"You already have Mamoru," the long-haired blonde stated. 
	The odango-haired blonde laughed in embarrassment. "Oh, 
right!"
	"He has a name," she spoke up.
	Her three friends leaned in closer.
	"What is it?" the blue-haired genius asked.
	"Sora," she answered. "The skies, the heavens; that is his 
name. He's like an angel."
	"Angels aren't supposed to have raven wings, are they?" the 
long-haired blonde asked, turning to the blue-haired genius.
	"I don't think so," the blue-haired genius said. "Mako-chan, 
what would make you think he was an angel?"
	"He was watching over me," she replied quietly. She turned her 
head and saw the solitary raven standing at the edge of a pathway. 
"He always has been."
 	"This is very strange," the blue-haired genius said. "Perhaps 
we should see Rei-chan about this."
	"Good idea," the long-haired blonde agreed. "Maybe the fire 
will help us find this cute guy."
	She smiled at the mention of Sora being cute. He was handsome, 
yes; beautiful almost to the point of appearing like a girl. Such 
tranquil compassion and frailty in his soul. She wanted to meet him 
again tonight, underneath the pale moonlight.
	She wished to feel his touch again, for his wings to enfold 
her and make her feel secure. Just as she had felt long ago as a 
child in her darkest hours...


	"I won't make you any promises," the dark-haired shrine girl 
said, leading the foursome down the halls of one of the Shinto 
shrine's buildings. "This is a strange request. I don't know if the 
fire will be able to tell us anything."
	"Any attempt is better than nothing," the blue-haired genius 
spoke up.
	They came to the chamber housing the sacred fires that burned 
day and night. The dark-haired shrine girl sat closer to the fire 
than the other four.
	She hoped her friend could read something from the fire 
anything.
	Eyes closed, powers focused, the black-haired shrine girl 
began to whisper words coming in a rapid chain that was a chant. 
Suddenly the eyes were open, staring into the fire as it erupted 
and burned higher than usual.
	Yet there was nothing within the flames.
	"Gomen," the dark-haired shrine girl said, shaking her head. 
"But the fire cannot find anything about this guy you meet in your 
dreams."
	She sighed at her friend's words, accepting the fact that only 
Sora could give her the answers she wanted. But the chance might 
only come tonight when she slept. So many hours were before these 
two times.
	"Well," the long-haired blonde asked. "Now what do we do?"
	"I have no suggestions," the blue-haired genius spoke up. "I 
don't know what else we possibly could do. These events, this 
guardian angel are completely unprecedented."
	"Hai, but where does he come from?" the odango-haired blonde 
asked.
	The black-haired shrine girl rolled her eyes. "Usagi, you can 
be so stupid sometimes."
	The odango-haired blonde whimpered. "Rei-chan, you're so 
mean!"
	They all started to talk amongst themselves after that, but 
she found their conversation growing distant. She walked closer to 
the fire, hand at her breast. Slowly she opened her hand and 
reached out towards the sacred flames.
	"Mako-chan?" the odango-haired blond asked.
	She glanced back at them, but then returned to her hand when 
she felt something soft and light fall into her palm. It was a 
single black raven's feather.
	And then another drifted down past her.
	And then another.
	All the girls whispered to each other in awe as the room 
became witness to a gentle rainfall of raven feathers. They floated 
down to the wooden floor, collecting in numbers.
	"Incredible," the blue-haired genius exclaimed.
	The odango-haired blonde laughed, catching a large handful of 
feathers and then flinging them up in the air. The long-haired
blond joined in the sentiment until the black-haired shrine girl 
snapped that unless they stopped they would be cleaning this mess 
up.
	There was so much magik in the room.
	It couldn't have been just a mere dream she had felt.
	She smiled, staring into but not at the fire. She would return 
again tonight to see him.
	"Sora...." she whispered.


	The pale crescent moon was shining overtop the peaks of the 
mountains once more, as it always had been and always would be. The 
cobblestone path was still cold on her bare feet.
	Her diaphanous nightgown rustling in the breeze, she journeyed 
down the path towards the distant torii still glowing with a 
crimson aura brought on by moonbeams.
	She was not far from the gateway when she saw him, a shadow 
rippling amidst other shadows that danced and played by the torii. 
Two deep crimson eyes slowly opened, the only visible colour of his 
darkened outline. And then he stepped out from the shadows.
	"You came!" he said, a smile touching his face. For a moment 
the clouds of sadness left his eyes, and they were beautiful. He 
moved as if to close the distance and embrace her, but once more 
hesitated.
	His eyes clouded over again.
	"You should not have come," he said finally, looking away. It 
pained him to look into her eyes.
	"Sora," she said quietly, her hands caressing his cheek and 
lifting his head. He was pulled into her gaze, his features 
softening. As if uncertain whether or not he himself was inside a 
dream, he lifted a hand to her skin, gently brushing against it.
	She sighed at the warmth of his touch.
	"Makoto," he whispered.
	"How is it that you know my name?" she asked.
	"You have been here many times," he said quietly, his arms 
wrapped around her neck. "I have seen your beauty cross the borders 
of this Dreamworld."
	His fingers caressed her face, moving from forehead to cheek 
to chin in slow, rhythmic motions. She could feel her breathing 
grow more like sighs or quiet moans.
	"Such beautiful green eyes," he whispered. "Like walking into 
an emerald forest. One day I might journey into there and become 
lost inside forever. Such a fate I could only hope for, Makoto."
	His smile faded, as if harsh reality had come crashing down 
and destroying his fragile hopes. He moved away, possessed by 
crimson sadness. Though his hand languished at her cheek, until it 
too was pulled away, his fingers stretching out in the longing to 
feel her skin once more.
	"Sora..." she whispered, reaching out for him.
	Darkness stole him away.
	"I am sorry," his voice whispered with the winds. "Makoto, 
please...."


	Her eyes were open yet unfocused, as was her mind the same 
way. The morning had been a blur of forgetfulness, lost to her in a 
gentle rainfall of raven's feathers.
	"Mako-chan?" the odango-haired blonde asked, waving a hand 
before her face. "Mako-chan?"
	She managed to shake herself out from the dreamlike state, 
eyes finally focusing on her friends. Once more they were sitting 
beneath the shade of a tree to escape the heat of a September sun.
	"You saw him again, didn't you?" the blue-haired genius said.
	She nodded.
	"Ah, I'm jealous!" the long-haired blonde exclaimed. "Why 
can't I meet a guy like that in my dreams."
	"It was more than a dream," she answered quietly. It felt like 
destiny, or something that went even beyond destiny. A magik, one 
she had never felt before--not even in a distant life far apart 
from this one.
	"It could just be a dream," the blue-haired genius suggested. 
"A very real dream. We all have them. I mean, I can't explain it 
any other way."
	"How do you explain all those feathers yesterday at the sacred 
fire?" the long-haired blonde countered.
	The blue-haired genius could find no response.
	Despite their words of encouragement, she was still lost in 
troubling thoughts. Her angel kept himself a step back, longing to 
step forward yet hesitating. Was this the dilemma of the raven?
	"Mako-chan?" the odango-haired blonde asked, noticing her 
expression. "Is something wrong?"
	She nodded, drawing her knees up closer to her chest.
	"Every time we get close," she said quietly. "He pulls away 
with sadness. As if we're not supposed to be together. I don't 
understand."
	The long-haired blonde leaned over, aghast. "Don't say things 
like that, Mako-chan! You have to keep fighting to reach him! After 
all, life is short and love's a battle!"
	"That's 'life is short so love while you can'," the blue-
haired genius corrected, sighing at the failed quote.
	She smiled at their efforts to make her cheer up; they were 
not in vain. Her hopes lifted just as the raven familiar took to 
the skies, leaving a few feathers to drift through the air.
	Hand outstretched, she caught a black feather and closed her 
fingers around it. Soft against her skin, cool and compassionate. 
The others fell silent as they saw her clutch the feather and then 
release it to the winds.
	Something seemed to be stopping him, drawing him away when all 
he seemed to wish for was to draw closer to her.
	She had to try.
	The winds seemed to whisper his name as they drifted past her. 
Even the rustling leaves of the tree seemed to speak of the raven 
angel. His magik was spreading.
	"Sora," she said quietly. She was lost from her friends, from 
her world. The mountains and the lone torii, the cool breeze 
against her skin, the touch of his soft skin. 
	"Mako-chan..." the odango-haired blonde whispered. They were 
being drawn into his world; no one remained untouched. His magik 
was spreading to them all.


	That night, without words, she slipped out of her clothes. For 
a long while she stared at her naked form caught in the mirror's 
reflection. Her hands gently brushed against her skin, tracing the 
contours.
	For a time she paused at her breasts, and then continued. 
Every pore of her body seemed to be tingling like a gentle shower 
of rain was falling upon her. She looked down at herself, wondering 
if this was Sora's magik.
	The mirror watched her move before it, fingers running down 
her body. And then the mirror let her watch. Her eyes widened, her 
breath a rapid inhale. Within her reflection she saw her form fade 
to black, Sora inside. With downcast, trembling eyes he looked 
away, arms crossed over his chest and clutching his shoulders.
	"Makoto...." she heard him whisper. He was calling out for her, 
in an hour where he was the lone angel in the darkness.
	He faded, and only Makoto was within the mirror. 
	She walked up to the mirror, hands touching the cold surface. 
Her reflection mimicked her actions, eyes within a dream, long 
brown hair dangling over her shoulders and chest. Slowly she moved 
away and reached for her nightgown. The silken gown seemed to 
caress her with that same magik. From somewhere beyond the window a 
raven called out to the moon.
	The bedside clock read fifteen minutes past the eleventh hour. 
And then the lights fled and darkness rushed into the room like a 
flood, sweeping away sight and thoughts and the waking hours.


	It was a gentle shower, the rainfall not enough to soak her 
nightgown right through, but enough to dampen both her hair and her 
garments. The storm felt of sadness. Quiet, lonely tears were 
falling down around her, at her feet and washing into the cracks of 
the cobblestone path.
	The half moon was burning a bright glow across the skies and 
the mountains. Shadows were cast in shimmering silver all around 
her save for the crimson aura that was the torii.
	With steps made uncertain by her heart, she made her way down 
the slope towards the gateway. The rains were still falling but 
there was no wind; even still she found herself shivering. The 
dampened folds of her nightgown glistened around the form of her 
body, the pale colour of her skin showing through the diaphanous 
fabric.
	Sora was standing beneath the torii, waiting. But his back was 
turned, still clutching his shoulders. His tapering braid was 
soaked with the water, almost hidden by the folds of his raven 
wings.
	He turned, the rain leaving a strange sparkle around his 
figure. Crimson sadness. His arms slowly lowered to his sides. A 
bittersweet smile managed to carve itself onto his face.
	"Makoto," he said, watching.
	She was only a step away, face to face and eyes gazing into 
each other's soul. His wings rustled, feathers noiselessly shifting 
around. Her mouth opened to say something, anything. Nothing came, 
and no words could find a voice to claim. Yet her eyes spoke more 
than her lips, even when he gently reached out and ran his finger 
across her lower lip and chin.
	"You came once more," he whispered. He tried to separate 
again, but she snatched his wrist and held it tightly in her grip. 
Unable to leave, he was left with no choice but to return forward. 
	He smelled of the sweet and moist evening air, of racing 
through the skies on raven's wings and the fragrance of a garden of 
roses. It was something that she wanted to breathe and be a part 
of.
	"Why do you keep pushing me away?" she whispered, trembling 
eyes pleading out to him. "Why do you hide when I can see you wish 
to come to me?"
	He stared at her, torn between two dreams. And then he stepped 
forward, arms around her shoulders as he caught her up in a tender 
embrace. His head tilted, cheek to cheek.	
	"Why won't you let me in?" she asked.
	"Fear," he answered softly. "Fear of what happens every time 
you wake up. I remain, and you return to that realm of the waking 
souls. The fear that I may be doomed to love you from beyond our 
dreams forever."
	She felt something cool and wet, something apart from the 
rain, hit her cheek. The raven angel was crying through closed 
eyes. 
	Another of his tears fell, his arms trembling as he held her. 
He was pleading that he could never let go, to see her disappear 
and become lost from him. 
	"You found a way to me," he whispered. "I know that this will 
end when your eyes open in another world, and all I can do is to 
pray that you find your way back the next night."
	The gentle rainfall became instead a breeze. No more water and 
no more tears. Instead a cool wind floated past them, and she drew 
closer to him, shivering. His wings wrapped around her even 
tighter, her breasts against his chest.
	He lifted a hand to brush away the bangs of chestnut hair from 
her face. So cool from the rain yet so warm from her heart. He 
lingered with his palm against her cheek, finally resting it around 
her neck to lace with the other.
	"I have seen the beauty of your dreams." He smiled, staring up 
at the stars. "It is like the radiance of your face. You don't know 
how many times I have reached out in the hopes of touching your 
dream."
	Her arms trailed down his sides, his vest damp and clinging to 
his form. A sensitive area caused his wings to rustle with sound. 
	"Looks like I found a tender spot," she said.
	He laughed, wings folding back behind him. "Beautiful Makoto," 
he whispered, one final tear streaking down his face. "For years 
have I watched you dance within your dreams, to watch you from my 
gate. I could only call out to you and hope you would hear me."
	 His words choked, crimson sadness threatening to overtake his 
eyes once more. It was hard for him to admit to his dreams, knowing 
how fast they would fade and how forever would pass before they 
returned.
	"I'm here," she said, taking his hand in hers.
	His features softened. "We are guardian angels, lords of the 
dream realm," he said, tilting his head to the eerie glow of the 
torii. "Within these borders we are to watch but never join. Always 
with you, yet always apart."
	He led her down the cobblestone path, her footsteps taking her 
beyond the gateway. Overhead the half moon shone its pale kiss down 
on them, and the cool wind brought them closer together.
	"Our time together is short," Sora said. "I can only hold you 
in my arms for one shining heartbeat before you are stolen back to 
your world."
	He smiled, caressing her cheek. 
	She sighed. "This all feels like a...."	
	"A dream?" he finished with a smile of amusement. "You are 
between realms of the waking and the dreaming, and only a handful 
of souls have ever walked this path and remembered it."
	Giggling echoed across the mountain base, content and excited. 
The wind itself seemed to frolic in the childlike laughter; her 
hair and gown rippled with every breeze.
 	"What is this?" she asked.
	A chorus of laughter arose from the grasses and flowers. 
Fleeting images, ghosts and memories played and danced around the 
path. 
	"The dreams of souls such as yours," he said. "I seek to 
preserve their beauty, and to defend them from the eternal darkness 
and its minions."
	She watched as flickers of dreams passed her by. A child on a 
swing with only seat and chains but no frame; a young man curled up 
in a chair, silently ensnared in the world behind the pages of a 
book.
	A girl with long blonde hair and odangos sighed, laying in the 
embrace of a young man with short, dark hair in a bed of roses, both
lovers staring up at the half moon.
	This was a dream she knew, the dreamers she cared for deeply. 
"Usagi-chan," she whispered, watching to two. "Mamoru-san."
	"A rare dream," Sora said quietly, whispering into her ear. 
"Only a few find their way to each other within their dreams. Such 
love is destined for eternity."
	She held in her breath as he pressed into her back, arms 
wrapping caringly around her neck. Such a sweet fragrance that 
embodied him. Her skin tingled at his very touch.
	"It is time for you to go," he said reluctantly. "But for the 
first time, I won't be alone as I stand."
	She turned, eye to eye and face to face. He leaned forward, 
eyes closing. His breath felt warm and reminded her of these nights 
beneath a pale moon. Her own eyes closed. Lips met and became one 
as passions and magik fused together. Her body tingled with the 
sensations of the wind caressing her dampened body. She could feel 
his hands loop around her waist, pulling her in closer. She stroked 
his sides, feeling his wings rustle around her.
	Lips met and finally parted with the parting.
	Sora drew back, his hands slowly running up her sides and 
over her breasts as they were pulled away. She stretched out her 
hands, brushing against his arms and then clasping fingers.
	The mountains grew distant, the torii all but forgotten. 
Dreams of those she knew and souls unknown were lost within a grey 
mist that rose up from the cracks of the cobblestone path.
	She could feel his grip slipping away, his image fading.
	"Mako-chan," he whispered. "I love you...."


	She sighed, staring outside at the dream of reality. The 
September sun was hot, the air thick, the day still bright and blue. 
Yet she longed for night. Cool or hot, she didn't care. Just one 
more chance to be with her raven angel.
	The grounds of the Shinto shrine were serene, trees swaying 
lazily in a gentle breeze just beyond the open paper-screen 
dividers and the outside porch walkway that encircled the building. 
If she turned fast enough, she could still catch his smell in the 
air, of evening dew and roaming fields.
	"Mako-chan?" the dark-haired shrine girl asked, trying to 
catch her attention. "She is really out of it today."
	They were seated together at a low table in one of the shrine 
building's rooms. All friends wanted to talk, but she was oblivious 
to much of it.
	"She's been like this ever since this morning," the odango-
haired blonde replied. 
	"It's like she's awake yet still walking in a dream," the 
blue-haired genius said.
	"It's that guy again," the long-haired blonde said, shaking a 
fist and pouting. "Why can't I find a guy like that?"
	They all turned to the sound of flapping wings. Two ravens 
came to rest upon the porch, cocking their heads at the open room 
before them.
	"Phobos! Deimos!" the dark-haired shrine girl exclaimed, 
calling out the names of the attending ravens. "What are you two 
doing here?"
	The two ravens simply stood at the edge of the groove for the 
paper-screened sliding door. Expectantly they searched the room, 
looking from girl to girl, two pairs of eyes settling upon her.
	She was already watching them, expectant also.
	Another raven flapped down, alighting the porch and standing 
in between the two other of its kind. Crimson eyes of hope and 
magik seemed to shine as they found her.
	"Mako-chan?" the odango-haired girl asked. "What's going on?"
	"Sora...." she whispered in response. 
	Her raven angel.
	Abruptly all three birds opened their wings and in a loud fury 
took to the skies. No shadows were left behind, no feathers to 
drift in the wind.
	She would go to him again tonight, to answer to his call.
	And he would not pull away in fear.


	With the setting sun came the rising moon, and with it came 
the night of a thousand stars. Night had emerged supreme and the 
hour was drawing later in the sands of time.
	Time found her once again staring at her reflection in the 
full-length mirror before her. Skin alive with tingling magik, she 
caressed her skin and found warmth in a dreamlike wraith who seemed 
to be behind her, her own hands becoming his as they ran down her 
body.
	She smiled as her reflection faded, the mirror opening up to 
her a realm beyond consciousness. She saw a face looking back 
though not her own. 
	"Sora-chan," she said.
	He nodded, lifting up a hand and pressing his palm against the 
glass wall between them. Her hand moved to match his, fingers 
longing to lace together yet confined by a window that was not a 
gateway.
	Wings outstretched, throwing raven feathers across his side of 
the mirror. The winds of magik blew them through the watery portal, 
and she closed her eyes as she felt the caress of their rainfall, 
drifting past her face and around her room.
	"Mako-chan..." he whispered, feeling the warmth of her palm 
despite the barrier between them. 
	The raven's down swept her away, electrifying her body with a 
thousand sensations. She could almost feel him standing around her, 
arms laced around her shoulders as he kissed the base of her neck. 
Wings folding around them, she wanted to be there next to him, to 
touch and be touched.
	The magik overwhelmed her, and she slowly lowered herself onto 
her bed. No covers. No nightgown. With a dream to cling to she 
slipped from the waking hours and walked towards an ancient gateway 
she knew so well.  


	A cool breeze that marked the night drifted past her, sweeping 
with it strands of grey mist along the grasses. The cobblestone 
path was no longer cold beneath her feet for now her feet were in 
boots.
	Everything had changed with the bonding of magiks, the 
conjunction of realms. There was not a nightgown around her but a 
flowing white blouse tied at the waist with an emerald sash. 
Beneath the billowing folds of her blouse was a skirt cut from the 
night sky that strived to touch the ground but fell short by a 
hand's length.
	Around her collar draped a cloak of emerald found in the same 
shade as her sash. It too fell short of touching the ground, 
rippling with each push of the winds. A bracelet forged of gold 
wrapped around her right arm, decorated with runes and gemstones 
that glittered when caught in the moon's gaze.
	There she stood, in clothes becoming of this realm's magik.
	No longer was she standing atop a slope, the cobblestone path 
leading her down to the torii. Here the scarlet gateway towered far 
above, its shadow forming around her upon the stones.
	And here he was waiting.
	Sora stood before her, a warm smile and crimson eyes of serene 
flames having found a purpose to burn. Raven wings behind him 
fluttered slightly.
	"My princess," he said, taking her hand in his and gently 
kissing it. "Milady of the forests."
	She wrapped her arms around his waist, drawing him closer to 
her. They stood eye to eye, drawing warmth in a cool night from 
each other.
	"I have been afraid for so long," he said quietly. "Now 
instead of fearing the sunrise I wait for the next sunset, when we 
can be together once again."
	"How long have you been watching over me?" she asked, resting 
her head against his neck. She felt his gentle hands stroke her 
tresses of chestnut hair, let down and playing in the winds.
	"For every tear you cried," whispered an answer. "For every 
smile you made. For every time you looked up at the moon and asked 
the stars if your soulmate was dreaming upon the same moon. I have 
been there, Mako-chan, and I shall always be with you." 
	"Sora-chan..." she said, heart moved and tears slipping down 
her cheek.
	He tilted her head up and wiped away the stray droplets. The 
torii seemed to capture his vision for a moment, the gateway 
looming before them. He slowly broke away from her, though not in 
fear or sadness.
	But now he beckoned to something else.
	Something of his world.
	She gasped, mouth behind hand as it came into the light and 
burst forth from the rolling mists. A creature of shimmering pale 
moonlight emerged with a fierce clapping of hooves against 
cobblestone. Moist breaths of air steamed from its nostrils, and it 
threw its head about to let its wild mane of silver dance 
possessed.
	Sora whistled to the steed, holding out his hand and calling 
it forth. The steed responded, slowing its gallop and trotting over 
to the lord of the gateway. Nose nuzzled against his arms and into 
his vest.
	"What is it?" she whispered in awe.
	"A Silvermane," he answered, stroking its nose. "They exist 
only within this realm, wild and untamed unless we the gatekeepers 
ride with it."
	With a gentle but firm hand he seized the flowing mane of the 
silver unicorn and pushed off the ground, mounting the steed.
	Leaning over, he stretched out his hand to her. "Ride with me, 
Mako-chan. I ask you."
	She took his hand and found herself atop the mighty back of 
the steed. She sat in front of him, and Sora moved his arms 
underneath hers to take the Silvermane's hair and steady them both.
	He whispered something to the Silvermane, a string of words 
she was unfamiliar with. This was still his realm, and thus his 
language of the dreams. Being a living beast forged from such 
dreams the Silvermane understood, shaking out its mane.
	He tucked his arms around her, reaching out to grip the locks 
of the steed's silver hair. She felt safe in his embrace, running 
her hands down his arms and then taking the mane close to his own 
grips.
	"Careful," he cautioned. "They're fast."
	His point was proven a heartbeat later as the Silvermane 
reared up, kicking out its front legs and giving a fiery breeing to 
shatter the stillness of a dreamy night. The silver creature took 
off with incredible speed, galloping away from the torii and its 
cobblestone path, across grasses and slopes and plains.
	She could feel their bodies pushing into each other, rubbing 
as they were jostled and shook by the incredible pace set by the 
Silvermane. Sora nestled his chin against the base of her neck; she 
tilted back her head and rubbed cheeks.
	They rode beyond the torii and into the mountains. Stone gave 
way to forest and trees encircled them the further down the path 
the Silvermane galloped. Sounds echoed past them, of trees 
breathing with the wind and of animals hidden amidst the shadows of 
the forest.
	Finally the Silvermane slowed of its own accord, trotting a 
brisk pace as it snorted hot, misty air from its nostrils. They 
were journeying into the heart of these mountains, the realm now 
alive with the sounds of other souls.
	"Where are we going?" she asked.
	He smiled. "Someplace like home."
	Rushing water met her ears, and the trees bent back to reveal 
a clearing at the side of a mountain's base. The grasses were low 
and dew-covered, surrounding a pool of crystal moonbeams that 
danced in shades of blue. From the jagged rock face poured down 
water, thick and wet and sloppy.  
	The Silvermane came to rest, and he helped her dismount. She 
sighed; such a place was where her dreams seemed to lie. A 
sanctuary to call her own yet she felt so familiar with this forest 
and its magik.
	Had she been here before?
	Perhaps, in another dream.
	"We are not alone," he remarked, walking hand in hand with her 
into the clearing. Their steed weaved itself into the trees and 
vanished with the green vegetation and dark shadows.
	Two young women were seated next to the water's edge, one 
laying in the embrace of the other. The girl on the grass let a 
hand drift in the current of the pool, aqua-green hair being 
stroked by one with blonde hair that held the golden sands of a 
beach or an hourglass.
	Her mouth was slightly agape as she saw the two seated on the 
grass. She knew them in her world, with their own brand of magik. 
They were her friends, her warriors, her fellow dreamers.
	"Good evening, Sora-san," the sandy blonde said courtly. "A 
beautiful night, is it not?"
	He cast a smile. "Haruka, Michiru...I thought you two might be 
here."
	"You know them?" she asked, surprised.
	He nodded, more to the two women than to her. "We've met 
before on occasion within my realms." He eyes darted to the one 
with the wavy aqua-green hair. "You're the only dreamer I know who 
has tamed a Silvermane enough to let you ride it across these 
fields."
	"It is an honour to see you once more," the aqua-haired one 
said, head bowing with respect. 
	"Of the rarest to tame a Silvermane," he said, turning away 
from the two girls to her. "They are the few who wake and walk 
through this realm rather than dance in their dreams. Their magik 
is strong, their love even stronger."
	He looked into her eyes, lost amidst the emerald forest 
within. Lips touched her forehead with a gentle kiss, his warm 
feathers fluttering to caress her sides. She giggled, ticklish.
	"They seem to be seeking a moment alone," the sandy blonde 
said quietly.
	"It would be rude of us to intrude so," the one with the aqua-
green hair agreed. "Young love deserves such a place to exist."
	Then they vanished like wisps of mist fading in the moonlight. 
She stepped forward, ready to cry out in fear that they had been 
stolen or taken to a strange place now.
	"Don't worry," he reassured her. "They have simply taken to 
another sanctuary within this realm. They care for you, and for me 
just as I care for their dreams."
	His lips touched hers, and there they stood. The moon seemed 
to reach a new pale colour, shining with brilliant white light. For 
a time they laid side by side, her head in his lap as they watched 
the waterfall churn and froth. When he wished to cleanse himself 
in the clear waters of the pool, she remained upon the shore, 
content to watch him frolic in the waters.
	Stripping of everything save his pantaloons, he splashed about 
in the pool, diving and surfacing and swimming. Sometimes to show 
off to her, other times to release his own fears and pain.
	There came a time where he disappeared beneath the surface. 
She watched from the edge, his form gliding beneath the waters 
effortlessly. He emerged from the depths like a dolphin borne of 
the water, eyes closed, mouth open as he breathed in the crisp air 
of his world. As if for the first time he was breathing the ecstasy 
of a dream, her dream.
	The droplets of water splashed onto the surface like rain, 
some resisting and clinging to his body. They wanted a chance to 
glisten off his skin as the beams of the crescent moon blanketed 
the realm.
	With that final action Sora retreated to dry ground. He began 
to wade towards the grassy shores. Tresses of soaked, raven black 
hair flowed about like the very winds of air, his braid lost to let 
his shadows dance free with his spirit. Halfway was the furthest 
to shores he reached as she stepped into the waters to meet him. 
Cloak and bracelet removed she pushed away the unbuttoned folds of 
her white blouse, the damp sleeves clinging to her arms. 
	Naked chest met naked breast. The water lapping at their 
waists, they embraced, souls meeting with their passionate kiss. 
Damp feathers touched her naked back, and she shivered at their 
touch.
	"Sora," she whispered, calling out to him. 
	"Mako-chan," he answered. "I love you."
	Their souls and bodied melted together, hands caressing and 
exploring. She was vaguely aware, as she closed her eyes and rested 
her head against his chest, that the waking hours were calling her 
back.
	Cold water and warm skin sent her mind to a dream of angels 
and silk, of rainfalls, of feathers and cherry blossoms. Of a single 
touch that set her soul on fire as her skin tingled with 
excitement.
	She drifted away, content in his embrace.
	"Mako-chan," she heard his voice whisper. I love you....


	She awoke to the warmth of her covers and comforter. Sometime 
in the night she has slipped beneath her sheets...or had he found a 
way to carry her into bed after she slept in his arms?
The September sun was streaming in through her closed blinds, and 
from somewhere outside she could here the morning caws of a raven 
searching for food.
	Picking up her folds of nightgown from the floor, she moved 
about to dress. Magik tingled within her skin, rushing about her 
body. Everything seemed to possess his crimson eyes. A reflection 
in the mirror. The whispers of a wind. The rustling of the trees. 
The shadow beneath her feet.
	Facing a day of dreaming amidst school's lectures, she stepped 
out into the sunlight of her apartment's veranda. A bird called out 
to her from the railing.
	"Sora-chan," she said quietly, smiling as she saw the raven. 
She smiled, hand outstretched to the shadow bird. The raven 
alighted her palm, perching on her wrist. It cocked its head, 
crimson eyes of tranquility looking up at her.
	"I remember the waterfall," she told the raven. "Arigato."
	With a nod of its darkened head the raven spread its wings and 
soared beyond the trees, having disappeared but not vanished. It 
would return to watch over her, to simply be near her.
	As her guardian angel always had and always would.


	"Mako-chan," the odango-haired blonde said, resting against 
her shoulders. "Ne, Mako-chan?"
	She was still somewhat oblivious to their words or their 
voices. Last night continued to pass before her, the magik 
unfolding before her like sheets of dark silk. Smooth and exotic, 
not entirely real yet not entirely a dream.
	"She's really fallen hard for this Sora," the dark-haired 
shrine girl remarked. "Just look at her. Her eyes are between 
worlds."
	"Are you going to tell us what happened last night?" the long-
haired blonde asked playfully, nudging her in the sides.
	The blue-haired genius blushed slightly at this. "Those things 
really should be kept to the two lovers, shouldn't they?"
	"You were the one who kept on saying last night how much you 
wanted to know," the long-haired blonde replied with a growing, 
mischievous smile.
	The blue-haired genius turned a deeper shade of red.
	"We were at a waterfall last night," she said abruptly. "He 
led me there atop a silver unicorn, and we rode far into a forest 
of living emeralds. When I left, it was in his embrace as we 
kissed...."
	Her voice trailed off.
	The other four around her sighed longingly, the magik still 
reaching out to touch them as it had for her. She had seen fleeting 
images of them before when Sora had shown her glimpses of the 
beautiful dreams he guarded.
	"Makoto," came a new but familiar voice.
	The young women turned to the two newcomers standing at their 
table. Her eyes widened, almost trembling at the precious memories, 
as she saw the sandy blonde and the aqua-green haired woman.
	"Haruka-san!" she exclaimed. "Michiru-san!"
	The sandy blonde winked at her. "Did you enjoy last night 
after we left you two alone?"
	She nodded slowly, still overjoyed to see them so soon after 
the waking dream.
	The aqua-haired woman smiled demurely. "It's been a long time 
since he began watching over you, Mako-chan. And he is a very 
beautiful young man."
	"Are you saying that to make me feel jealous?" the sandy 
blonde inquired.
	"When was the last time you went bathing beneath a waterfall 
with me?" the aqua-haired one playfully answered, turning to her. 
She felt herself blush slightly.
	"You were bathing with him?" the odango-haired blonde 
exclaimed, voice carrying across the cafe. 
	The dark-haired shrine girl sighed. "Usagi, lower your voice, 
please. At least give her some privacy to give us the details of 
this. Baka."
	"We really shouldn't be hearing this," the blue-haired genius 
said, staring down at the table.
	"I noticed you haven't left the conversation yet," the long-
haired blonde remarked. That drew another blush in response.
	The two older women turned and departed with a friendly wave 
of souls who had shared the same glimpse of heaven. She hoped that 
they could meet again in either world. Either realm didn't matter 
to her anymore. Both were merging in her eyes as the magik spread 
through her heart and soul.
	"So," the long-haired blonde asked with a mischievous smile. 
"When are you going to introduce us to your new boyfriend?"
	"It's not exactly like he lives in our world," the dark-haired 
shrine girl said. "He belongs inside this dream realm he guards. We 
can't simply tear him out; I don't know what damage we might do."
	"Can we meet him in his realm?" the blue-haired genius 
inquired. "Mako-chan has already, as well as Haruka-san and 
Michiru-san. Perhaps he can pull us into his world tonight while we 
sleep."
	The magik was with them all, but its power was still cloaked 
in a veil of mystic enigma. There could be no certainty save the 
words coming from the lips of her raven angel. Only he would know 
for certain. Confined to his own realm, only he had the magik to 
draw them in.
	"The most I can do," she answered her friends. "is ask."

	
	Once more, as she had done in the nights passed on before her, 
she stood and watched the reflection of the mirror. Silken sheets 
flowed around her body, breathing with a life of winds and shadow 
fire. They were her own pair of raven wings, causing her skin to 
tingle and her body to shudder at the caress.
	Her raven angel appeared before her, moonlight from beyond the 
glass trickling down onto his dark hair. Wings folded behind him, 
he looked upon her with caring eyes and a fragile spirit. In his 
hands held a single red rose adorned with jagged thorns. 
	The flower had closed against the moonlight, but under his 
fingers the petals moved away and the flower breathed in full 
bloom. He blew upon the rose, a fury of petals sent out from the 
mirror and encircling her. Silk and silken flower met with her 
body's warmth, and she felt as if she were drowning in the magik.
	"Sora...." she moaned softly.
	The black silk, fluttering like the flames of an ancient fire, 
became his wings that encompassed her. He seemed to be with her 
beyond the mirror where the untamed Silvermanes roamed. She could 
feel his fingers stroke her skin, circling and touched with such 
tender passion that she became lost.
	Eyes closed she surrendered to his embrace, the silk folding 
around her as she laid her back upon the bed and let the rose 
petals rain down. 
	"Mako-chan," his voice whispered. "I love you...."


	In the distance was a cobblestone path that led to a towering 
gateway. But that was far away, and here she stood with the grasses 
at the edge of a forest where ranks of trees and shadows stretched 
out from one horizon and curved into the mountains.
	At first she found herself alone; her raven angel was not 
standing and waiting for her. She turned, worried, and then found 
him. He was paying respects, laying down two white roses before two 
grey stones that marked the resting souls of those he once knew. 
Crimson eyes of compassion and gentleness spoke silent words of 
hopes and of dreams.
	The cloak forged of silken emerald billowed out in the wind 
behind her as she approached. His silence asked for respect, for a 
moment to let the memories come and go.
	By their epitaphs she knew who was at rest.
	A long time ago they had been her parents, gone when a plane 
lost its power of flight. Wings clipped, they had died without pain 
or regret or a chance to say goodbye. Sadness now possessed her 
eyes, and though she shed tears she could not fully understand why 
she was crying.
	"Sora," she whispered.
	He turned and took her in his embrace, wings folding around 
her with the warmth of an angel. For a long time he held her there, 
letting her cry as she had once let him cry. So much undiscovered 
pain.
	Such were the scars they all bore.
	"I first met you as a child," he said quietly, stroking her 
loosened hair. "You were six." His eyes trembled at the memory. 
"Your world became lost at this site, and for many nights I found 
you here. Your tears called out to me, pleading for someone to hold 
you. Many nights you slept within the folds of my wings.
	He smiled. "Ever since then I loved you. Many times you played 
and danced among your dreams, Mako-chan, and I was there with you. 
Never again did I want to see such a beautiful face cry, stained 
with tears. Not until you came to me could I hope for this much."
	His grip around her tightened, fear of losing her rising. Not 
the fear of long ago, but of losing her to the sadness that had 
once claimed him. There was no need for the raven angel to fear; 
her hands laced around the back of his neck and she rested against 
him.
	"Promise me you will never leave," she asked of him.
	"Not until the waking hours takes you back," he whispered. 
"And then I shall be watching...and waiting."
	Waiting for the chance to step through the waters that was her 
mirror, to soar through the clouds that held boundaries between 
worlds. For a time, even if it were just a heartbeat, when they 
could be one soul together.
	She lifted her head and they stared into each other's eyes, of 
crimson waters and emerald forests. Cheek to cheek they touched, 
nuzzling in the warmth of touch until their lips found one another. 
Slowly, passionately, they kissed.
	Her hands moved into his vests, unbuttoning the billowing 
folds of his white shirt until her fingers met with warm skin. 
Wings folded and faded in a rainfall of raven's down. This was the 
first time she had seen him without wings. Sora still looked as 
beautiful as when she had first seem him.
	With a gentle pull he released the cloak from around her 
shoulders, the emerald garment drifting to the grasses of the land. 
Her own buttons fell apart, and once again they absorbed the heat 
from each other's body.
	The raven down floated all around her, caressing her tingling 
skin and causing her to shiver. She felt protected as his arms 
wrapped around her naked back, drawing her closer to him.
	Such was the magik shared between them beneath the pale glow 
of a full moon. They listened to the heartbeats beating against 
their skin, two rhythms soon becoming one in harmony. His wings 
returned, carefully folding around her to fend off the cool breeze 
that blew in the night air.
	"Mako-chan," he whispered, stroking her hair.
	"I have a request," she said.
	He nodded. "Go ahead, Milady."
	"My friends would really like to meet you, to see your world 
and to feel your magik. Can you bring them here?"
	With a smile Sora glancing up at the stars, and to the moon 
that ruled the night. Over a millennium had passed since first 
encountering their dances within the dream realm. Had it been so 
long since their magik had captivated his kind?
	"Your friends mean a great deal to you; they are souls I have 
never known yet have watched all my life," he answered. "They have 
been here many times, but within their own beautiful dreams. From 
time to time you all have played together in one dream."
	He stepped back, wings closing around his body. His vest and 
shirt were suddenly whole and covering his chest, as were her own. 
Arms outstretched, his palms opened to reveal a shimmering crystal 
orb in each. Moonlight caught their form and flashed before her. 
	"I can grant your request," he said, drawing his arms to his 
chest. The crystals seemed to merge with his body, disappearing 
into his skin with a sparkle of magik. 
	The grey mists rose up with a sudden burst of tempest, 
billowing clouds drifting across the grasses of the dream world. As 
abrupt as they rose, the mists faded. She looked to the skies as a 
number of solitary ravens flew past, disappearing in the shadows of 
the distant trees.
	Their shadows passed to give way to two new shadows emerging 
from the dying mists. The moonlight caught them, girls with long 
flowing hair of night and day.
	"Mako-chan?" the long-haired blonde said groggily, rubbing a 
pair of drowsy eyes. Folds of nightgown dangled near the grass. 
"What are you doing here?" 
	Her eyes seemed to find joy in finding her friends once more. 
"He's brought us all together within our dreams," she answered, 
embracing Sora at the waist.
	"I thought dreams were supposed to be a private matter!" the 
dark-haired shine girl exclaimed, flustered and pulling at the ends 
of a kimono, hiding the lace garments beneath.
	Sora smiled at the remark. "You are the one who gazed into the 
fire," he said. "I saw you days ago when you searched for me. You 
almost crossed the boundaries."
	"And you littered the room I was in," the dark-haired shrine 
girl replied. "Next time do it outside."
	He laughed. "Ara, next time I will," he conceded.
	The mists parted to reveal a nightgown of flowing oceans hues 
and shades. The blue-haired genius walked with uncertainty in this 
new realm. Crystal eyes lit up as they saw the raven angel and his 
lady of the forest.
	"An honour to meet you face to face," he said, taking the 
blue-haired girl's hand in his. The blue-haired genius blushed as 
he bowed and kissed it, and was still blushing even after he had 
done the same with the others.
	"Where's Usagi?" the long-haired blonde asked, searching the 
plains.
	"Her magik is unique," he answered. "unlike anything my fellow 
guardians have encountered. She shares a dream of love and 
moonlight with another soul much like hers. Give her time, and give 
us patience."
	The odango-haired blonde emerged from a billowing cloud of 
mist that ran along the ground, serene and safe in the arms of a 
dark-haired prince. They were dressed in silken white and black, a 
flowing dress of moonbeams and shimmering armour of the night.
	"My lord, Endymion," he said, bowing to them. "Milady 
Serenity. An honour to have you with us."
	Lady Serenity smiled, as did the dark-haired knight.
	Sora stepped back to join with her, looking at all the friends 
she had asked to be brought into the realm of the walking dreamers. 
Such a long time since he had seen them all together like this.
	"Let me show you an ancient dream," he said quietly, closing 
his eyes. A vortex of water erupted from beneath his feet, 
sparkling diamond white. It cascaded down upon the girls, and they 
closed their eyes in preparing for the touch of wet water.
	Yet they were met with the warmth of a moonbeam.
	Nightgowns had become flowing garments of ocean blue, crimson 
red and sunlight yellow; billowing cloaks and folds of white 
blouses with dark skirts and boots. They were in the midst of a 
dream of old, of lives once lived.
	A palace, ancient and lunar, stood out before them. They 
walked amidst the sparkling lights of the towers and parapets, down 
crystal white pavilions and along shimmering waters of clear ocean 
blue. High up in the sky there was a sliver of earth looking down 
at them.
	Such an ancient magik, their magik. She smiled as she saw the 
wonder and tranquility on the faces of her friends as they walked 
with her. A warmth caressed her skin.
	"I fear my powers will be unable to hold this for long," he 
said with regret. "But showing you this is the least I can do for 
the friends of my angel of moonlight."
	She looked to her guardian angel. "How did you do this?" she 
asked him quietly.
	"Memories can be forged from our magik," he answered, stroking 
her cheek. "This memory has long since been hidden, brought to 
light with instances few and far between, always with blood and 
tears in battle. Here is a chance for you to walk amidst an ancient 
dream without the pain."
	"But the Moon Kingdom existed over a thousand years ago," the 
blue-haired genius said aloud, pivoting to take in every sparkle of 
moonlight aura. "How could you create something so lifelike from 
forgotten memories?"
	He paused, turning back to the girls who were walking with 
their own paces of awe. "We have been guardians of this realm since 
long before the moon sparkled with waters of life and the pillars 
of serenity. You can't imagine our fear when we suddenly felt 
thousands of dreams disappear from our borders, wiped out of 
existence. In one instant we found the dancers cut down from us."
	Crimson sadness of long-lost pain surfaced. "For centuries we 
searched in the hopes of finding your souls once more walking 
through our realm. For centuries we flew between worlds...and found 
nothing. Your magik was different back then. Everything was 
different back then. Now your magik, though the same, has changed 
with your new world. And we raven angels are uncertain of where we 
stand in your eyes."
	Raven wings fluttered, rustling with the emotion. Crimson 
sadness threatened to overtake his fragile heart, but was washed 
away with her touch. She brought his eyes to gaze into hers, to 
find comfort in her gentle smile.
	Clouds of grey mist were blowing across the ocean blue waters, 
steadily moving throughout the ancient palace. It was starting to 
fade. The lonely night was returning, with it a dreamlike day and 
a September sun.
	"Sora," she whispered. "Rest your raven wings."
	The realm of a once whole moon faded, the mists ushering it 
away to allow the grassy plains to take root once more. Mountain 
peaks in the distance reached out for the pale half moon in a 
starry night sky.
	Slowly, reluctantly, he parted from their company, his fingers 
tracing their way down her arm until they clasped hands together. 
Finally he drew back to his realm, his outstretched hand still 
calling to her.
	"If I could wish upon any star out there that might grant a 
request," he said. "it would be that I could wake up in your world, 
your face the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes to a new 
life."
	Closing his eyes he raised one hand to the night, the magik 
becoming real as a crystal orb materialized in his open palm. Raven 
wings were stretched out their full length. The crystal shone, 
catching the rays of the half moon. Beams of gentle blue light shot 
out across the fields, striking the grasses. 
	She held her breath as up from the grasses rose a multitude of 
blue, red, orange and green. Tiny wings beat with tiny beating 
hearts as in one accord these fragile bodies lifted themselves up 
to the heavens. Black bodies and rainbow wings surrounded her.
	"Butterflies," the odango-haired blonde exclaimed, in the 
embrace of the dark-haired knight.
	"How beautiful," the blue-haired genius whispered.
	Her eyes fell upon Sora, already lost in the wave of hovering 
colours. But she saw his eyes. Crimson serenity; that was the 
warmth she felt when the darkened forms of the winged rainbows 
ushered her into the realm of the waking souls.
	"Sora," her whisper echoed across his world. "I love you..."


	The next day followed like the others with the rising of a 
September sun to usher in a hot, sweltering day. Yet the fires of 
sun paled in comparison as five young friends gathered together in 
the front of a Shinto shrine in the dying hours of sunlight.
	Their eyes shared a newfound wonder of the magik within a 
dream, possessed by its gatekeeper and guardian. Something was in 
the air tonight, blowing with the winds of change.
	"Such a warm night tonight," the dark-haired shrine girl said 
quietly, hands held out to catch the fading light of the sun before 
it gave way into another night of dreams and dances.
	"What are you going to do, Mako-chan?" the long-haired blonde 
asked.
	She stared up at the crimson embers of the setting sun, 
shielding her face in the shade of her raised hand. "I don't know. 
I want to believe that we can be together forever, but..."
	Her voice trailed off, knowing how the surface of a mirror 
stood between them, the sealed portal between his world and hers. 
The walking dreamers and the sleeping angels were fated to stand on 
opposite sides of the gateway.
	"Believe in love," the dark-haired knight said, tenderly 
embracing the odango-haired blonde. "I think that is half the magik 
that exists within the realm of our dreams." 
	"Mamo-chan," the odango-haired blonde sighed, blushing as she 
stared into his eyes.
	"He's right," the blue-haired genius agreed. "You've come this 
far, and you can't give up now. None of us will give up on you, 
Mako-chan."
	And suddenly a solitary raven unleashed a sound as it landed 
in the midst. Crimson hope stared out at her, and then to her 
friends. It knew there was something in the tempests of the night. Two 
more ravens settled next to it, familiars to the dark-haired 
shrine girl. They cocked their heads from one girl to the next. 
	"Phobos," the dark-haired shrine girl said quietly with an 
extended arm. "Deimos." The two ravens alighted the beckoning hand, 
delicately resting their black bodies on her skin.
	"Look," the blue-haired genius said, turning around.
	Even more ravens were emerging from the trees, revealing 
themselves from their shadows on branches, roofs, pathways and atop 
the shrine's massive torii. The silence of the birds spoke more 
than anything else.
	"Sugoi," the long-haired blond whispered.
	"What does this mean?" the odango-haired blonde asked aloud.
	She smiled at her friend's question, the answer standing 
before and around them all. "He's spreading his wings," she said 
quietly. "From one night into another."


	The magik seemed to be touching every last part of her body as 
she stood before her full-length mirror. Every touch became his, 
every breath of the wind became his warm kiss against her skin.
	She moaned softly, arms clasped over her naked breasts as she 
gazed into the reflection from beyond day and night. Crimson eyes 
of compassion looked out to her, longing to touch her and keep her 
warm in love.
	The mirror rippled slightly, as if the glass had become water 
and was struck by a tremor of magik. The power that held back 
realms was slowly falling.
	She turned as the fluttering of wings entered her room. Doors 
closed and open windows screened, these wings found a way to enter 
her sanctuary.
	A solitary raven alighted the frame of her mirror, staring 
down at her with a quizzical cocking of its head. Crimson eyes 
looked, but not the eyes she loved. For those eyes were before her 
from beyond the mirror's edge.
	Within the mirror Sora watched the gathering begin, eyes 
passive. His own raven wings folded back, slowly fading as the grey 
mists swirled behind his form in the reflection.
	Fluttering began anew, a second raven taking a perch at the 
edge of her bed. It too looked, but with different eyes yet 
possessing the same magik. The raven said nothing but turned first 
to the angel in the reflection, and finally to her. 
	"Go to her..." she heard a quiet voice whisper.
	A wind of wings began, more ravens entering and perching. She 
was standing in their midst, among a sea of shadow feathers and 
warriors of dreams.
	"Go to her," the ravens whispered. "You dreams have become her 
reality."
	The mirror's surface rippled like the ocean, glassy waves 
distorting their view. A droplet seemed to splash out towards her, 
letting out a cascade of small waves that coursed across the 
mirror.
	He slowly reached out towards her, his palm touching the 
barrier between their realms. More ripples blurred his form, and 
hers from his side of the gateway.
	"The line no longer remains for you," the ravens whispered. 
"Follow your heart to her." 
	His fingers slipped across the boundaries, lacing with hers. A 
gentle pull led him through the mirror. Slowly he pushed across 
realms and boundaries, releasing with him a storm of raven's down 
that rained all around them.
	The ravens gazed upon him with the sadness of leaving an old 
friend. Yet there was a pleasure to see one dream come true, one 
destiny come together.
	"Sayonara...Sorata-sama."
	And then they were lost within the storm of shadow feathers, 
disappearing just as ghosts of a fading dream soon to be forgotten. 
Yet the magik was still his to call upon with a touch or thought, 
for he was by blood one of their world. 
	He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. Tears 
streamed down his cheeks, and he could not understand why. A 
turbulent sea of emotions raged within his heart, overwhelming his 
fragile soul. 
	"Mako-chan," he cried, burying his face into her long hair, 
filling his world with her scent. "So long have I searched and 
waited for this moment."
	She gently wiped away his tears. "Sora-chan," she whispered. 
"Through destiny and dreams have I searched for someone like you to 
love, and now I have found my raven angel. I love you."
	He took her hands in his, kissing them. Magik swirled 
throughout the room, taking them both away yet together as one. 
Tender hands met warm skin, caressing, exploring. Bodies tingling 
they came together, with kiss and caress and rhythm of two bodies 
making love.	
	She cried out at that climactic moment, her body glistening 
with sweat. He scooped her up in his arms and held her against his 
warm body as they came as one, one last kiss to mark the end of a 
time together, the first of many.
	That night she slept in the warm embrace of his arms and 
raven's down falling around her body. And when she awoke the next 
morning, she found herself lost in raven feathers and the loving 
eyes of crimson serenity.
	"Mako-chan," he whispered. "I love you..."


	The September sun rose up into the city like a beating heart 
stirring life into the people. It was a day of rest for those who 
were with lectures and studies, and so it was that four girls and 
one young man met together at the grounds of a familiar Shinto 
shrine.
	"Did you feel it last night?" the dark-haired shrine girl 
asked the others. 
	They nodded, having sensed a powerful explosion of magik flow 
past them, both exotic and erotic. Their bodies had tingled and 
felt the hungers of the heart.
	"I can't help but wonder what they did last night," the long-
haired blonde remarked. "I barely got any sleep from all the charge 
my body felt."
	The blue-haired genius blushed slightly. "Minako-chan," she 
said nervously.
	The long-haired blonde leaned her with a coy smile and a 
playful grope. "Oh, Ami-chan, don't tell me you didn't feel so 
excited last night."
	The evoked a deeper blush.
	The odango-haired blonde simply sighed peacefully, leaning 
into her dark-haired knight. Last night they had been together when 
they felt the surge of the magik, and even today they were still 
basking in the afterglow.
	"Do you think he was the only one?" the dark-haired shrine 
girl asked, looking out to the trees beyond. "Do you think there 
are others like him out there...searching?"
	None had an answer.
	Then eyes turned as two figures walked up the steps of the 
Shinto shrine, traveling beneath the towering red torii. A young 
man and a young woman, hands clasped together, leaning against 
each other with gentle smiles.
	He was dressed as they had always seen him before within the 
dream realms, his long braid of raven dark hair fluttering in the 
winds. The wings were no longer visible, though he still held the 
magik to make them appear.
	She was dressed in more formal attire than usual, of a 
vibrant, shoulderless shirt of silken emeralds, and dark jeans of 
night. Tresses of chestnut brown hair flowed out from her large 
ponytail, and around her neck shimmered a pendant shaped like a 
pale white rose blossom.
	Wide and sparkling eyes looked out to each of them. She 
smiled. "Everyone," she said to them all. "I would like you to meet 
Sora."
	Sora nodded to them all, crimson compassion looking into each 
of their eyes. "Tell me of your dreams," he asked.


=====================================================================

Tales of the Dreamworld, 2nd Night - The Emperor's Tale
Rated R


	Phantasm: (n) 1. a product of phantasy.   a: delusive 
	  appearance; illusion; deception.  b: ghost, spectre, 
        spirit

			  -Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary



	Just as every breath possesses an instance that can be brought 
to life in words, the event becomes a chapter in a book, a story for 
others to gaze upon and be swallowed whole within the tale.
	A realm beyond the waking hours, forged from the magik of a 
thousand dreamers and their dreams. Within every soul lies a story 
to tell, each event a tale to give unto others.
	These tales, both surreal and sensual, are but a few of many 
chapters in a world given breath by a creator. Her name is Naoko
Takeuchi. The people and their lives are of her heart and soul. 
They belong in her embrace. But the dark angels, these Shadowdemons 
and their Empress belong to another, and they are of my skin and 
soul. I embrace their world and their shadows as my own children.
	I ask that none may steal any of them away from their 
creators. The world of the Moon Princess and her royal court belong 
to Naoko Takeuchi. Their hearts and souls belong to her; they are a 
part of her stories. But the realm of the waking dreamers, and both 
the angels and the demons that exist within them, are a part of my 
own story.  Milady Naoko's princesses belong in their castles 
beyond the moon, and my Shadowdemons belong in their realms where 
the nightmares lurk. 
	One of honour does not become a petty thief; I ask for your 
requests if you wish my Shadowdemons to wander into other worlds 
and other stories.

	-His lordship Chaos  (hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com)



	 Let those love now who never loved before,
	 Let those who always loved, now love the more.

				-Unknown, "Vigil of Venus"



	There they rise again, a chorus of fierce howlsongs and 
roars to echo across the valleys and mountains and plains 
that make this place the Dreamworld.
	I can see them perfectly now, an entire pride of them 
moving faster than an eagle over the treetops. Leaves are
raining down from the winds they stir in their wake.
	Dragons: lords of the skies, beasts of fire.
	In many of my wanderings I have encountered the forms 
of these winged creatures soaring through the eternal skies 
of night, their shadows cast in an eerie pride of 
silhouettes before the light of a pale moon.
	Ancient faery tales have cast a dark light upon 
dragons, making them wild and destructive creatures. When 
knights struck them down and slayed them, it was seen as an 
act of justice. Yet the tales have never been so simple.
	In my walks from one corner of the Dreamworld to the 
next I have learned of legends regarding these winged 
beasts. They are almost extinct even in this world, though 
rumours still abound of a sanctuary kingdom where the 
dragons live in peace and serenity.
	I have yet to stumble into such a place.
	Perhaps it is just as well that I haven't.
	Regardless of how myths have portrayed them, dragon 
souls are not unlike ours. They can be kind or cruel, 
peaceful or rampant. It is all a matter of their hearts. And 
their loyalty to their emperor, and the magik he wields.
	Let me tell you a story....


	THE EMPEROR'S TALE


	It was rain that fell before her vision, though not of 
droplets of water that splashed against the skin. The storm 
was of petals. Cherry blossoms, delicate and in pale flush. 
They were caught by the breeze and danced in the winds.
	Some were then caught by her hand, fingers closing 
around the petals. She brought them close to her face, 
opening up her palm to catch their fragrance before 
releasing them back into the winds.
	"Strange that it should rain these blossoms here," she 
said to no one but herself, brushing some trusses of long 
blond hair from her shoulder. 
	She stood atop an ancient step pyramid, grey stone 
shining like silver from the light of a pale crescent moon 
high overhead. Glyphs and carvings marked the pyramid's 
structure, running down along the steep stairways that led 
into the dense jungle forests far below.
	Her fingers touched her clothes: a blouse of silk, dark 
like the wings of a raven. A beautiful sash of gold draped 
over her shoulder, the ends fluttering in the winds near the 
formal dress pants of pearl white that disappeared into 
black boots. 
	So formal in appearance, yet so elegant, deserving of 
royalty. In truth she had been royalty in another life, far 
away and long ago from this one.
	Closing her eyes to feel the burst of the winds cool 
and refreshing against her face, she sighed. He would come 
again, just as he had night upon eternal night. Just as he 
had promised whenever they were forced to draw away into 
their own worlds.
	She turned and stared up at the massive torii towering 
before her. A gateway between worlds, a marker between 
borders. It was here that she had found him riding the wings 
of a thousand beasts breathing the essence of fire and 
flight.
	"Kishi," she whispered, calling out his name.
	The torii burst into flames of crackling blue and 
white, consuming the form of the gateway yet not the gateway 
itself. The blue aura lit up the entire horizon, and she 
could now see from one end of the world to the next. There 
was jungle forests, dense and thick and swelling with warmth 
in the air. Hundreds of sounds came to life as creatures 
stirred with the explosion of ancient magik.
	Countless other step pyramids reflected the light off 
their silver stones, each one rising up like a plateau from 
the green realm of the jungle forest. And there were shadows 
moving on those pyramids, with form and life.	
	The fires of the torii faded though they did not die out. 
Instead the gateway was filled with the glowing embers of 
the magik's aura. A brilliant violet was cast upon her face 
as crimson met blue.
	And standing before her beneath the gateway was a 
shadow flickering with shades of purple. He stepped out 
towards her, hand outstretched. Dressed in a black gown with 
a crimson cloak around his neck and billowing behind his 
figure, he gently lifted the back of her hand to his lips.
	"Milady," he said with a kiss. "I am here."
	The broad collar of his robes fluttered around his face 
where flowing moss green hair danced around his sapphire 
eyes. Her fingers brushed away the strands of blue-tinted 
bangs located above his right eye.
	"How long has it been?" she asked.
	"Too long," he answered. "Eternal night has passed 
before me and yet it has flashed by in a heartbeat now that 
you are here."
	She giggled slightly, flattered. "Ever your charming 
self, Ki-chan." She turned around in his embrace, shivering 
as his warm breath touched the back of her shoulders.
	She moaned softly as she felt the caress of his fingers 
move down her neck and breasts. Her own hands clasped with 
his and she directed their movements down the contours of 
her body.
	"I would enjoy your company atop the back of a dragon," 
he said quietly. "The chance to see the beauty of their 
kingdom, and for them to see your own beauty." 
	Her arms reached out behind her head to cradle the back 
of his neck. Eyes closed, she was lost in a world of his 
touch and caress, of his breath and voice.
	"Milady Minako," his words whispered into her ear, 
causing her entire body to tingle. "Fly with me tonight."
	"Kishi," she answered, slowly turning to gaze into his 
eyes. Sapphire met sparkling sapphire. "I--"
	And then the chimes sounded.


	She groaned as her alarm clock went off, snapping her 
out of that other realm. Groggily she stirred from beneath 
the covers of her warm bed and slapped a hand down on the 
alarm. 
	The chimes were silenced, and slept.
	"Why couldn't I have set it later?" she lamented, her 
mind still lost in the memories of the kingdom of the 
dragons.
	A single red rose was suddenly before her, hovering in 
the air for a moment before it softly touched her pillow. 
Two rouge petals parted and chose their own path through the 
air.
	One was caught in her palm.
	"Arigato," she said quietly, unable to hide her smile. 
A finger traced its way between her breasts, down her 
nightgown. Oh how she wished to find herself in those robes 
once more, in his embrace.
	Her eyes drifted over the alarm clock and panic set in. 
"Seven fifty?!" she exclaimed, throwing herself out of the 
reverie and her warm bed. In the process she also managed 
to send her feline companion tumbling onto the floor. 
Contrary to popular belief cats didn't always land on their 
feet.
	"I'm getting too old for this," the cat muttered, 
picking himself off the floor. He spoke and could be spoken 
to, for he held within him a magik that had existed for over 
one thousand years.
	His white body slowly turned to his frantic master. 
	"Artemis!" she said. "Why didn't you wake me when the 
alarm went off the first three times?"
	"I did," the cat replied. "and all you did was roll 
over. Come to think of it, I don't even think you woke up at 
all. You were just mumbling to yourself in your sleep." 
	Her eyes rested upon the single red rose, still upon 
her pillow; they widened. She quickly snatched up the rose 
and hid it behind her back before the feline could see its 
presence.
	Suspicious eyes narrowed before her nervous giggling. 
"Minako?"
	"Ne, Artemis?"
	The glaring time caught her attention, and she was 
thrown into another fit of chaotic disarray as she scrambled 
to prepare for high school.
	"You think finally entering high school you would be 
mature enough to get there on time for once," the cat 
remarked, and was promptly rewarded with a nightgown flung 
on top of his body.
	She grabbed a hairbrush and quickly brushed out her 
long blonde hair. Time was of the essence and while she was 
late, the faster she ran the more she could arrive on time.
	She raced out of her bedroom, school bag in one hand 
and the other reaching out to toss a slice of bread into the 
toaster. After a few seconds of waiting she slipped into her 
school shoes, and with bag and breakfast slipped out through 
the door.
	The September sun was still hot and bright, on the 
verge of being relinquished into October. For a moment she 
forgot about school and enjoyed basking in the warm rays. 
She paused, glancing down at the darkness beneath her feet.
	Her shadow.
	And within the darkness she could see fires both 
crackling blue and fiery red flicker behind the mist. And 
with them was the face of her guardian. 


	Her friends had gathered together beneath the shade of 
a tree as a morning full of studies passed by. Now a noonday 
September sun was overhead, the tree's full blossom shading 
them from the light.
	"Ami-chan!" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed, yanking 
a book from the blue-haired genius' hands. "We're not here 
to study! We just came from that!"
	"Gomen," the blue-haired genius courtly replied, 
snatching the book back and opening it up to a specific 
page. "It was just a passage that fascinated me:

	     'The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
		But I have promises to keep,
		And miles to go before I sleep.'
				
	"Robert Frost," the blue-haired genius said. 
	"How magical," the tall brunette sighed, leaning into 
the arms of her lover. "I wish I could see those woods one 
day."
	"Perhaps one night, then," the dark-haired angel 
replied, arms wrapped tenderly around the tall brunette. The 
tall brunette giggled as the dark-haired angel tickled the 
skin beneath the school uniform.
	She smiled at the young couple. It had been an 
incredible experience to share when the raven angel had 
brought them all into the Dreamworld and then returned to 
forever be with the tall brunette.
	Now a guardian of a mystic realm was living with them, 
with the tall brunette. It was magik that had given the 
raven angel a new life here in Tokyo, at their school.
	"My world," the dark-haired angel said. "holds a 
hundred different forests, each one as beautiful as the 
next. Mako-chan, we can visit the springs again."
	"It's a date, Sora-chan," the tall brunette answered.
	As the others enjoyed the company of the lovers' magik, 
she found herself lost in thoughts of silver step pyramids 
and a fury of fire and dragons.
	"What about a jungle forest?" she asked.
	Sora gave her a quizzical look. "Why do you ask about 
that?"
	She could feel her face heat up, though not from 
blushing at the raven angel's pretty face. The memory of a 
promise made surfaced, a request of her Dragon King.
	"No reason," she said, nervously giggling it away.
	"Minako-chan," the odango-haired blonde said 
suspiciously, leaning closer to her. "Are you hiding 
something from us?"
	"No!" she said, nervous laughs returning. "I just 
happened to see this jungle forest in the distance one 
night."
	"Out looking for a boyfriend?" the tall brunette asked. 
"Well, my Sora-chan's taken. You'll have to find yourself 
another raven angel in your dreams."
	They all seemed to sigh wistfully at the memories of 
such dreams, of magik rippling beyond boundaries and 
crossing into their world. The first night the tall brunette 
and the dark-haired angel had slept together set off an 
incredible spark within each one of them.
	She knew that they all were looking for someone to 
watch over them and protect them, to love them and walk 
through worlds to be with them. Such a love the tall 
brunette and the odango-haired blonde had found.
	And so had she. But she kept silent, not of 
embarrassment or out of fear. It was out of a promise he had 
asked her to make. That her friends would not learn of his 
name or of his world. Though she did not understand his 
reasons, she could see his eyes of sapphire pleading to her 
to grant his request. 
	Sora's arms held the tall brunette as they leaned 
against the base of the shading tree. Such fragile 
compassion in those crimson eyes; it was no wonder the tall 
brunette had fallen in love with those eyes. 
	But the eyes she had fallen in love with were of 
brilliant sapphire, belonging to a young man in black and 
scarlet who was a gentle emperor over his pride of dragons. 
She looked up into the leaves of the tree.
	A hundred eyes flickered in the shadows, staring down 
at her, watching over her. Though confined to the darkness, 
raven wings clipped, they still found a way to find her in 
this realm. A hundred eyes of dragons keeping her safe.
	She knew that somewhere amidst those eyes, he too was 
watching and waiting.


	The sunlight had faded, giving birth to another night 
to sleep and perchance to dream. Her feline companion was 
gone for the night, out upon her request. Curious but 
complying the white cat had given her leave to be alone.
	And yet not alone.
	With one final stroke through her hair she set down the 
hairbrush and turned to the mirror of her vanity. Sapphire 
eyes that belonged to her reflection stared back, and then 
fingers reached out to touch the glass surface.
	For a moment she stared at herself. A soldier of love 
unable to tell of her own feelings because of a promise. 
Such was the extent of her love for her Dragon King. Weeks 
had passed since he first came to her, since she first found 
herself standing atop the silver step pyramids with a torii 
high overhead.
	She rubbed the base of her neck, her hand trailing down 
between her breasts and then tracing around them, drifting 
down her soft belly. She could feel his magik drifting with 
the winds of her room, opening her up to his caress and his 
touch.
	Her body tingled, hairs rising. 
	The shadow upon the floor looked up at her with eyes of 
darkness and a form becoming only of her. It had been this 
way for so long, stepping where she stepped. Once it had 
been the perfect mimic.
	Once. Now it was possessed of his magik.
	The shadow of her body rippled, changing with 
metamorphosis invoked only by ancient magik. Slowly the 
shadow rose up from beneath her feet, contours growing and 
filling out until arms and legs and breasts became visible.
	Fingers parted and reached out, clasping her own hands 
and feeling the warmth of her breasts. She moaned softly as 
these fingers played with a nipple.
	She was staring at herself now, face to face with 
Minako. Long blonde hair wrapped around their bodies like a 
warm blanket, smothering her with crackling magik.
	Minako-of-the-shadows gracefully slid behind her as she 
stood, arms brushing against her skin and then tenderly 
holding her. She sighed, closing her eyes as she felt her 
shadow's warm breath tingle across her neck.
	Small kisses worked their way up to her lips, and she 
turned her head so that their lips could meet. Minako-of-
the-shadows faded into darkness, its form changing once 
more. Long blonde hair became shorter and moss green, the 
fingers laced with hers gripping her hands tighter.
	"Kishi," she whispered.
	Her pleas were met with his kiss, passionate and 
filling her body with a desire to join with him once more. 
It had been so long since her shadow had become a part of 
his strange magik. 
	"Minako-chan," he said quietly. "My princess of love."
	Her eyes closed, her body sinking into the covers. She 
could feel cloth and covers wrap around her body as she fell 
into the realm of the waking dreamers. With one last, warm 
moan she slept. And her shadow dissipated as the lights in 
her room faded to night.


	A thousand eyes overhead seemed to glow down at her, 
not eyes of stars but of winged creatures flying amidst 
them. She leaned up against the torii, watching the dragons 
dance and swoop, spouting fire in brilliant infernos.
	A smile crossed her face as she felt someone come up 
behind her, wrapping arms around her waist. "You were late 
tonight, Kishi," she scolded him softly.
	He nuzzled his cheek against the base of her neck. 
"Gomen, Milady. It couldn't be helped." 
	A black rose with tangled thorn appeared in his hands, 
lifted up so that she could smell its sweet fragrance. With 
her touch the petals curled back into blossom, the tips 
changing to a radiant shimmer of blue. 
	She sighed, leaning against him. "It's beautiful. And 
after all, you still call a rose sweet only if it doesn't 
prick you first."
	A smile grew across his face. "That's 'a rose by any 
other name would still smell as sweet', Minako-chan." He 
opened his palm and the winds scattered rose petals across 
the starry sky. "Though when I found it I though of your 
face, this flower pales when compared to your beauty."
 	"You always know when to say the right things," she 
said, playfully tickling his sides. He laughed, squirming 
out of her expert fingers.
	"It's hard keeping up the messenger of love," he 
stated, kissing her forehead. He turned towards the 
expansive green realm spread out across the horizons.
	"The jungle forests are so pretty tonight," she said.
	"They are, Milady." For a moment he seemed lost in 
another realm apart from both dreams and the waking hours. 
The brooding in his eyes faded as he surveyed the jungle 
forest below them.
	"Ki-chan," she asked. "What is it?"
	He blinked, shaking himself free and with a tender 
smile looked into her eyes. "Nothing, Milady. Just random 
thoughts not deserving any more attention. I want you to be 
my focus."
	With a sweep of his arms she found herself pressed 
against him, chest to chest and lip to lip. They embraced 
and kissed, the winds throwing up a gale that flung his 
cloak of darkness over them both, the crimson interior 
concealed beneath its veil of a starless night.
	Yet when they parted from the kiss the winds did not 
stop. They continued, furious gales that reached out across 
the jungle forests of an eternal night. The skies lit up as 
streaking bolt of lightening flashed in the distance, 
casting a brilliant violet shade across their skin.
	"We should get inside the pyramid, Minako-chan," he 
told her. "The storms are always soon to follow."
	There was no rainfall. Instead there was an army of 
lightening and rumbles of thunder that echoed across the 
darkened sky. The full moon grew hidden as pulsating furies 
of black clouds poured out across the heavens.
	"Such an odd storm," she remarked, staring at it from 
the safety of the pyramid's entranceway.
	"The furies of my kingdom are unlike those of the other 
domains within the Dreamworld," Kishi answered. "There is no 
rain, but a brilliant display of lightening. I must admit I 
find these storms rather beautiful to watch."
	"Usagi-chan would be terrified of this," she said.
	A streak of lightening erupted before them, a flash of 
light flooding the entranceway as a rumble of thunder shook 
the step pyramid. Though the silver stone monument was more 
than firm enough to handle such a storm, she found herself 
leaping into her Dragon King's arms with a startled cry.
	He laughed, not cruel or malicious, but just because he 
loved being with her and sharing in her sometimes immature 
antics. 
	"Now you see why I enjoy these storms so much," he 
said, staring down into her eyes with playful sparkle of 
sapphire.
	She responded with a run of fingers up his sides, 
causing him to laugh with her touch. He squirmed a little 
more before catching her up in his embrace and kissing her.
	"Come," he said, parting lips to lead her down into the 
heart of the pyramid. "Let's get away from the storm, 
Minako-chan."
	Inside the step pyramid she found herself in the 
company of dragons, the interior of the silver structure an 
enormous cavern dressed like a ballroom. Pillars, columns 
and caryatids adorned much of the rotunda, with a series of 
waterfalls and fountains carved out from the rock.
	Numerous dragons of all sizes and shimmering colours 
looked up with her and Kishi's entrance. Their heads bowed 
reverently--though more to her than to their emperor. They saw 
Kishi as one of their own dressed in mortal skin. But the 
dragons saw her as one deserving respect just by the way her 
long blonde hair danced around her shining face and slim body.
	Tiny claws playfully wrapped around her shoulder, and 
she giggled under the tickling tongue of a dragon no larger 
than a small cat. 
	"Suna-chan!" she exclaimed under the affectionate licks 
of the sandy-coloured dragon. She had named him after the 
beach sands its hues so resembled. The dragon gave a series of 
hoots and clicks.
	"Ah, it would appear he smelled you coming," Kishi 
remarked.
He called to the tiny dragon in their own language, of 
whistles and clicks and strange-sounding words that might be 
used to invoke magik. But she had grown used to dragonspeak, 
and was actually catching onto their speech.
	She smiled as she watched emperor and dragon play 
together. When she had first come to this place, to this 
pyramid beneath the torii, Suna was a mere new-born, small 
enough to fit into her palm. That dragon was of a breed who 
were lesser in size, acting more like pets than the grand 
fliers who were either sleeping or lazily looking around the 
rotunda.
	With Suna perched on his shoulder, he led her past the 
relaxing bodies of the greater dragons. Her eyes widened and 
she nearly started to drool at the sight presented before 
her.
	There was a large series of fountains with water 
splashing and moving before a window that gazed out to the 
thick tops the jungle forests. But beside these fountains was 
a dining table and chairs, carved from exotic crystals and 
set for a meal. A thick but moist, chocolate brown pudding 
was laid out in a series of small silver bowls to be eaten.
	"Chocolate mousse!" she exclaimed happily. "You 
remembered!"
	"How could I forget?" he replied with a mischievous 
smirk. "You ate nine bowls of that dessert the last time I 
offered you some. I swear you have the appetite of my 
dragons."
	He laughed despite having her elbow playfully jabbed 
into his ribcage. 
	"You're so mean!" she teased, and then darted over to 
the table. "Itadakimasu!"
	As they sat down, he seemed content to watch her as she 
hungrily wolfed down the mousse with a speed and ferocity 
that matched her odango-haired friend. Yet for a moment, 
only a moment, he looked out into the storm and the brooding 
returned as he saw himself within the clouds. But that faded 
as he returned to the warmth of her smile.
	"What is it?' she asked.
	"Nothing to worry over," he answered.
	The storm continued throughout the night, and when it 
came time for her to return to the waking hours she asked to 
lay in his embrace. With gentle love in his eyes he nodded.
	"Anything for you, Milady."
	Safe and secure, the company of dragons and their 
emperor to keep her warm from the raging furies and rolling 
thunder, she slept.  


	She awoke to the beams of a September sun trickling in 
through her blinds. This was a day afforded to sleeping in 
late; no worries about racing to school. Rising from beneath 
warm covers was slow but rewarding.  
	A quick glance down at herself gave the revelation that 
she had slept without her nightgown, the garment crumpled 
next to her bed. With a stifled gasp she snatched up the 
nightgown and tried to cover herself as best she could.
	Luckily her feline companion was still sleeping. She 
slipped into a change of bra and panties before the feline 
awoke; when the white cat did stir, a bath followed with the 
opening of two weary blue eyes.
	"When did you get in last night, Artemis?" she asked, 
reaching for a hairbrush.
	The white cat looked up from the bathing ritual. "Late 
enough to find you in bed," the feline replied groggily.
	"Didn't get any sleep?" she asked, teasing her 
companion. "Were you out with Luna all night long?"
 	Defensive panic set in. "No!" the white cat protested. 
"Nothing of the sort! But you were moaning and moving around 
so much last night I couldn't get comfortable. What were you 
dreaming about last night?"
	She paused in brushing out her blonde hair. Her Dragon 
King, a brilliant storm, sleeping in his embrace and gentle 
kisses; they all passed within her memories. 
	"Why do you ask?"
	The bathing ritual for the feline abruptly ended. 
"You've been acting strange lately," the white cat said, 
both concerned and suspicious. She tried hard to act 
natural, and unfortunately succeeded. It was impossible to 
hide the look of someone who just let a secret out, the look 
of...of the cat who ate the canary and just got caught.
	The feline's eyes narrowed. "Are you hiding something 
from me?"
	She gave a nervous laugh. "Like what Artemis?"
	"What were you doing last night before you went to 
bed?" the cat asked cautiously. "I mean, you 
weren't...wearing your nightgown."
	"Artemis!" she exclaimed, lobbing a pillow at the cat. 
"Hentai!"
	"I wasn't the one having the erotic dream last night," 
the white feline muttered darkly after having taken the full 
brunt of the flying pillow.
	She sighed, choosing out her attire for the day: a 
white t-shirt under a set of bluejean overalls. Keeping her 
romance with Kishi a secret was really starting to take its 
toll on her. Everyone was growing in their suspicions.
	"Where are you going?" the white cat asked her, hopping 
onto her vanity.
	"To the Fire River Temple," she answered.
	The white cat's ears twitched. "What have you been 
eating, Minako? Chocolate?"
	She froze, moving a hand in front her mouth. Another 
problem with walking through two realms. Again a nervous 
laugh. "Just another midnight raid to the fridge!"
	Before her companion could get any more words in, she 
spun around and charged out from her bedroom, out from 
potential danger to her promise.


	"Is this all a dream?" she had asked him a long time 
ago, a time when the wonder of his domain could capture her 
with a mere gaze upon the jungle forests. 	
	He nodded. "It is, Milady. A realm apart from yours yet 
joined together at the soul."
	She swung around behind him, this time the one to 
embrace her arms around his waist. Kishi's hands clasped 
with hers. A hint of innocent curiousity arose as she felt 
her breasts press into his back.
	"Where are your wings?" she had asked.
	He became tensed, his grip tightening around hers. "Not 
all the guardians here are given wings," he answered, a 
strange sadness locked within his voice. 
	"Something wrong, Ki-chan?" she had asked.
	He shook himself free of his solemn expression, the 
smile returning as he cast his gaze upon her. "No, Milady. 
So long as I can look into your brilliant sapphire eyes, 
nothing could possibly be wrong."
	"Charmer," she said, playfully tickling his sides. As 
much as he pretended to hate it, he was unable to hide the 
fact that he rather enjoyed her "attacks".
	Atop the largest of all the step pyramids of silver 
stone he took her hand in his, bowing slightly to kiss it. 
"I would be honoured," he said. "if Milady would dance with 
me."
	"Anything for a dragon king," she answered
	And so they had danced before a pale crescent moon, to 
music that somehow came to life across the darkened skies of 
the night with chimes and whistles and woodwinds as the 
evening breeze swept past them. And in the final moment when 
everything came to crescendo, when a pride of dragons took 
to the air in a majestic parade of fire, he held her close 
and kissed her passionately.
	That had been her final memory before she had awoken in 
her own bed, in her own world. 


	This time she hid her emotions well from her friends, 
though not with something concealed in perfect darkness. The 
warm glow on her face and the giddy smile of having spent a 
night together with her Dragon King hinted to the others 
that something was up.
	"I know that look," the odango-haired blonde said, 
frowning on being left out of a secret. "That's the same 
look Mako-chan had when she first started dating Sora-chan."
	She blushed slightly; had she been that obvious all 
along? A burst of nervous giggles escaped her lips as she 
waved it all aside. The odango-haired blonde also began to 
giggle, and then was suddenly right in her face with a 
solemn stare.
	"Who are you dating?" the odango-haired blonde 
demanded.
	She toppled over by the close proximity of her friend's 
voice, letting out a startled yelp that seemed to cause a 
lapse in everyone's suspicions.
	"Usagi," the dark-haired shrine girl said with a weary 
sigh. "Let her be. If she had a boyfriend, Minako-chan would 
have told us already."
	She giggled nervously again. "Rei-chan's right. After 
all, I'm Sailor Venus, the messenger of love! And you can 
only trip while running into love so many times!"
	"That's 'only fools rush into love'," the blue-haired 
genius groaned, correcting the muddled quote. "Minako-chan, 
how much studying have you been doing?"
	She feigned deaf ears, still nervously giggling. 
Thankfully the right distraction came with the tall brunette 
and her dark-haired angel entering the cafe.
	"Sorry we're late," the tall brunette said, sliding 
into the booth.
	"And where were you two?" the odango-haired blonde 
asked with a teasing suspicious tone.
	"We woke up late," the dark-haired angel said. "We 
forgot about the time and spent the entire dream riding 
through the beaches of the northern shores with a herd of 
Silvermanes." He slipped into the booth next to the tall 
brunette and then tenderly clasped her hand. "It was 
breathtaking, wasn't it, Mako-chan?"
	The tall brunette nodded, and they met with a quick 
kiss.
	She sighed at their affection, eyes darting over to the 
blue-haired genius. "Ami-chan," she whispered. "You're 
blushing again."
	"Oh...am I?" the blue-haired genius remarked, turning a 
new shade of red with embarrassment.
	The conversations began anew, and they all seemed to 
forget about her hidden romance as the tall brunette and her 
raven angel told a tale of a dream filled with crisp ocean 
air and a dozen galloping steeds of silver throwing up sand 
as the waves licked their hooves.
	She found herself lost again with a haunting image of a 
silver step pyramid lost within the dense green realm of a 
jungle forest, the crimson torii's silhouette cast in the 
moonlight. A pride of dragons rising up from the pyramids, 
taking to the skies with a brilliant display of fire and a 
rainbow of sparkling scales. An emperor of strange magik and 
an even stranger past, yet one whose fiercely determined 
eyes of sapphire softened when they saw her.
	"Ki-chan," she sighed quietly.
	No one seemed to notice her quiet calling, and lost 
within that memory of a dream she didn't care whether or not 
the world had heard.


	"I've always wanted to ride a Silvermane," she had said 
once. "To feel the wind race past me atop the steed, and to 
feel you pressed against me."
	Many nights she had flown with him on the backs of 
winged dragons, and saw the beauty of his realm spread out 
before her in an exciting blur of winds and skies. Yet while 
she enjoyed the company of dragons, the tales of the tall 
brunette's encounters with her raven angel and the 
Silvermanes left her wishing for such an intimate prelude.
	"I cannot call a Silvermane," he had answered solemnly. 
"They do not roam through this part of the Dreamworld; the 
jungles are too thick for them to pass."
	"What about Sora?" she asked. She was certain all those 
who existed within the Dreamworld knew of the legendary 
raven angel. Not the first, but of the few who were able to 
cross through realms and destinies into the embrace of their 
beloved.
	He smiled, and for a moment she thought it was a smile 
of bitterness. "His domain was central to the roams of the 
Silvermanes. And now that he is not longer a guardian angel, 
he can ride them out from the domain that would otherwise 
bind him here in this realm."
	Her eyes widened. "You can't leave these pyramids?"
	He nodded. "Hai, Milady. Each guardian is sworn to 
protect a kingdom of the Dreamworld. Unless they wish to see 
its destruction they must never wander from its boundaries. 
All that is of lush jungle forest is for me to watch over. 
That is what binds me here."
	For a moment something clouded over his sapphire eyes, 
a grave secret of the shadows. "That is all that binds me 
here...." he whispered, as if wishing to believe his own 
words.


	The night was swept in by a radiant moon and an army of 
stars in the heavens. And with it a night spent beneath a 
pale moon atop a silver pyramid.  
	She smiled as she looked upon the familiar jungle 
forest. Tonight her feline companion had been in her bedroom 
when she had slipped beneath the covers. As much as she had 
wanted to feel his caress, she knew that her cat also 
mattered.
	The black robes around her ruffled in the cool winds, 
her crimson sash fluttering around her shoulder. She 
shivered slightly; the breeze was cooler tonight than usual.
	Abruptly she felt warm, tender hands run up her sides, 
and she fought off the urge to laugh at the tickling. She 
failed, giggling and squirming out of Kishi's grip, spinning 
around to face him.
	Demurely she wrapped her arms around his neck and 
kissed him. He did not hold back, responding with equal 
passion in his lips. Another wind swept past her and she 
shivered again.
	"Are you cold?" he asked, concerned.
	She nodded. "A little."
	He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Allow me, 
Minako-chan." Closing his eyes he brought his palms up to 
her cheeks. She moaned softly as suddenly the aura of his 
mystic magik around her.
	She felt as if she was slowly lowering her body into a 
steaming hotspring on some faraway mountain peak. Her legs 
tingled right up to her thighs, a warmth spreading out from 
her torso. 
	"Open your eyes," his whisper came.
	When she did she discovered that she was now waist-deep 
into a steaming hotspring. Tucked into the side of another 
step pyramid in the far corner of the jungle forests, she 
could see out beyond the rocks a realm of beautiful valleys 
and gorges laid out in a green carpet of plants and trees.
	Her breath was taken away by the magnificence of it 
all. "How did you...?" she asked. Her robes had vanished, but 
this would not have been the first time he had seen her 
naked breasts. Or her naked for that matter.
	He smiled, a mischievous sparkle of sapphire in his 
eyes. "Magik is not unknown to me, Milady." Leaning back in 
his seated position, his garments had also vanished but 
submerged up to his shoulders in the warm waters. "I hope 
this will warm your beautiful body."
	"There's something else I need," she said coyly, slowly 
approaching him. Her long blonde hair danced around her 
glistening body.
	Kishi glanced around the hotspring, suddenly uncertain. 
"Did I forget something?" he asked.
	His answer was her lips pushing against his, her body 
pushing his onto the rocks surrounding the spring. Her 
breasts pressed against his skin, warm and tender. Their 
arms wrapped around each other, though quickly moved to 
explore. She moaned softly as she felt his fingers caress 
one breast, drifting down her belly.
	"Ki-chan," she whispered into his ear. Her tresses of 
blonde hair covered them in a golden blanket.
	She took the initiative, and together they moved 
together in a rhythm of passion. The magik was spreading all 
across the hotspring, their bodies tingling as their motions 
of making love drew about a wave of exhilaration shared 
between them.
	"Ki-chan!" she cried out in that vital moment.
	A wave struck, washing over her with an incredible 
feeling of pleasure and magik. Her skin was tingling as if 
he was caressing and stroking every inch of her body. She 
laid down on top of him, exhausted but smiling as she looked 
into his eyes.
	"Minako-chan," he whispered, brushing away some of her 
blonde bangs. He cared for so much for her, the compassion 
shining through his sapphire eyes.
	She closed her own eyes, arms wrapped around his body 
as they shared in the warmth of both the hotsprings and each 
other.
	"Minako-chan," his voice whispered beyond realms. "I 
love you..."


	No one spoke of the night before; they all understood 
what had happened. Ever since the tall brunette and her 
raven angel had made love that one night, everyone could 
feel the magik stir the passion inside their bodies and 
souls.
	In dreams they felt one another kiss. In waking their 
bodies tingled with sensual touch of a passionate night 
spent in the borders of those dreams.
	She smiled quietly, knowing that even though she and 
Kishi had been together last night, there were two other 
couples of the same echoing magik who were active in their 
waking dreams. Perhaps at a waterfall, or in the hotsprings 
atop the ancient plateau far beyond Sora's domain.
	They were learning where to travel at will.
	All around them the autumn season was starting to take 
hold of the Shinto shrine's grounds, the leaves going from 
green to gold. With the warm winds still blowing, sitting 
out on the building's verandah gave them the chance to enjoy 
the scenery of changing leaves.
	"So, who still doesn't have a boyfriend?"
	She was unsure of who spoke the words, though everyone 
grew silent in their thoughts.
	The odango-haired blonde leaned against the chest of 
the dark-haired prince. The tall brunette was also sitting 
in the embrace of the raven angel. Both were basking in 
their own warmth, in the afterglow of a beautiful dream.
	The dark-haired shrine girl sighed. "No luck here."
	"Rei-san," came the voice of the shrine keeper's 
protege. A scruffy but handsome young man came from around a 
corner, dressed in the robes of one who tended to the Shinto 
shrine. The young man paused upon seeing all the others.
	"Oh, you're busy," the young man remarked, rubbing his
tanned neck beneath the thick brown hair. "I take it I can't 
talk to you right now."
	"Not now, Yuichiro," the dark-haired shrine girl called 
out. "I'm with my friends."
	The scruffy but handsome young man bowed and shyly 
retreated back around the corner. The man's affections for 
the dark-haired shrine girl had not gone unnoticed by 
anyone...including the shrine girl herself.
	"What about Yuichiro-san?" the odango-haired blonde 
teased.
	"Usagi!" the dark-haired shrine girl snapped, on the 
defensive.
	"Rei-chan's always so mean to me," the odango-haired 
blonde sniffled, hugging the dark-haired prince.
	"It just goes to show how good of friends you really 
are," the dark-haired prince whispered back. Deep blue eyes 
turned to the blue-haired genius. "What about you, Ami-
chan?"
	The blue-haired genius was hesitant, blushing shyly 
with the admittance that there was no boyfriend in her life. 
There was a careful omission in that there was, however, a 
search for such a boyfriend. 
	"What about you, Minako-chan?" the dark-haired angel 
asked.
	She grinned playfully despite trying to hide the fact 
from her friends that she was indeed in love. She couldn't 
hold back this secret anymore; it was bursting out from her 
eyes and her lips every time she looked or wanted to talk.
	"I knew it!" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed. 
"Minako-chan's got a boyfriend!"
	"How long has this been going on?" the tall brunette 
asked, sitting in the embrace of the raven angel.
	"Weeks," she said quietly, looking away.
	"You've been seeing a guy for weeks and only now 
decided to tell us?" the odango-haired blonde said, feigning 
hurt. 
	She laughed nervously, waving it aside. "It's not like 
we've been really dating or anything, Usagi-chan. We've just 
been meeting inside our dreams."
	"He must be a lucky soul," the raven angel said. "It's 
not every day a man meets the messenger of love."
	She blushed slightly at that; the face of her friend's 
lover was still beautiful enough to capture anyone's 
attention. Yet the face she longed to see once more held 
with it a fierce dedication and at the same time a charming 
smile.
	"So what's his name?" the dark-haired shrine girl 
asked. 
	For time she was silent, contemplating. Was this the 
right time? Would he understand if she told them of his name 
and of his world? But in truth the point of no return had 
been crossed.
	"His name is Kishi," she answered. 
	"Aren't you going to tell us anything else about him?" 
the blue-haired genius asked.
	She shook her head. "Not yet. Another time, perhaps."
	"She's just doing it to tease us," the tall brunette 
said.
	"Or make us jealous," the odango-haired blonde added 
with a pout.
	"Usagi-chan," the dark-haired shrine girl said. "You 
have Mamoru-san...Baka."
	The odango-haired blonde laughed. "That's right! I have 
Mamo-chan!"
	She smiled at her friend and her leader; more vivacious 
and childish than any of them, when push came to shove the 
odango-haired blonde always had the strongest will. 
	Her blue eyes saw the dark-haired shrine girl. "What 
about you, Rei-chan?" 
	The dark-haired shrine girl shrugged, and sighed, 
casting deep violet eyes out to the shrine's main pavilion. 
Somewhere out beyond the trees a faint ghost seemed to walk 
by. "Perhaps. Maybe. I don't really know yet."
	"Rei-chan's got a crush on Yuichiro," the odango-haired 
blonde teased again.
	"Usagi!" the dark-haired shrine girl exclaimed 
indignantly.
	"We've known that for a long time already," the tall 
brunette remarked to the raven angel. That got a quiet 
chuckle in response.
	As the two good friends, hair of night and day, began a 
usual routine of trading insults and raspberries, the blue-
haired genius sighed quietly, a silent wish for the touch of 
a raven angel's magik.
	The sands of the hourglass that marked sunset were 
falling fast, and dusk was close to setting upon them. 
Excitement rose within her just as the moon slowly rose into 
the night. Soon she would be with him again.
	She parted company from them in good feelings, relieved 
to have the burden of hiding her Dragon King from the 
others gone. But there was a moment where she suddenly felt a 
cold chill run through her body.
	That was when she saw Sora's face watching her, solemn 
and dark.


	She was surprised to hear the call of her mother in the 
later hours of the night. "Minako!" came her mother's voice 
from downstairs. "A visitor for you! It's Sora!"
	She ventured down the stairs to meet him, and then 
showed him up to her room. The raven angel had made quite an 
impression on her parents despite the fact that they knew he 
was the tall brunette's boyfriend. She had overheard them 
talking about how, if he wasn't already taken, he'd be 
perfect for her.
	"Did you want anything?" she asked. 
	Sora shook his head. "No, thank you, Minako."
	Her eyes bulged at the sight her less than tidy room. 
With a gale of nervous laughter she tried to scramble and 
throw aside her clothes and books and stuffed animals.
	"I'm not usually this messy," she said.
	"Not around visitors," the white cat added, looking up 
from a place upon the foot of the bed. "What brings you 
here, Sora?"	
	"I need to talk to Minako," Sora said, eyes darting 
over to the white cat. "Alone. Gomen, Artemis."
	With a roll of blue eyes the feline hopped off the bed 
and started for the bedroom door. "That's alright. I'm used to 
it by now."
	"Have you at least told him?" Sora inquired, closing 
the bedroom door behind the cat.
	"I told him when I came home," she answered. "He was 
more suspicious than any of you. I think I hurt his feelings 
by keeping it a secret."
	Sora glanced away, something flickering within his 
crimson eyes. Something that gave dire prophecy to a grim 
destiny. "You said his name is Kishi," the raven angel said. 
"Minako-chan, do you know him?"
	She nodded, smiling with his image standing before the 
step pyramid's torii. She could see his shadow robes and 
crimson cloak, that strange streak of blue bangs with his 
moss green hair.
	"Do you know him?" Sora asked again, voice gripped with 
a solemn tone. This was not a mere question. It was a 
challenge.
	"He is without a past that he can remember," she 
admitted. "That shouldn't be a problem." She smiled, trying 
to catch some reassurance from Sora's face. "Ne, Sora-chan?"
	Sora played with her hairbrush for a moment, 
contemplating the next words to be spoken. "Minako-chan, 
what I have to say will hurt you more than you can imagine, 
but I fear that my silence will only bring about more 
damage."
	"Sora?" she asked, her eyes starting to tremble. Did 
her Dragon King possess a shadow? And what lurked within the 
darkness there?
	"He is not one of us," Sora stated. "I don't know what 
he told you or what you saw, but he is not a guardian of the 
Dreamworld."
	She felt as if her heart had been smashed against her 
ribcage, a chill seizing her body. Now more ever than her 
eyes trembled.
	"He bares no raven wings," Sora continued. "and if I am 
right he has told you that he has no wings. In truth he 
holds another set of wings, ones I know he hides."
	"But the gateway," she protested. "That realm of the 
jungle forests!" There had to be a hope to cling to. A 
chance that everything was simply a misunderstanding? Was 
love to be so fragile that a secret could dash it to shards. 
	"They are not his," Sora answered, crimson regret 
looking at her. "He belongs to those who would threaten the 
peace of the dream realm. He is a Shadowdemon. That place 
you visit when you enter the Dreamworld is one he conquered. 
The guardian angel protecting it was killed."
	An invisible force struck her, but she able to keep 
from reeling. Standing as tall as she could, hands clasped 
together as if to pray, she pleaded in her eyes to the raven 
angel.
	"No...." she whispered. "It can't be."
	"I'm so sorry, Minako-chan," Sora said, placing a 
gentle arm on her shoulder. "The one you love belongs to the 
evil that is against your very dreams. I wish there was 
another way to tell you."
	She lowered her head, a shadow cast over her eyes as 
the light instead struck her blonde bangs. Desperate to keep 
herself from crying before the raven angel, her voice only 
came out in a low whisper.
	"Please...leave me alone, Sora. Please."
	Her entire body was quivering.
	The dark-haired angel sadly watched her tremble, but 
conceded. No other words could possibly help, nor could any 
embrace. She felt so alone all of a sudden, so cold and 
alone.
	Sora paused as he stepped through the door. "I'll tell 
Artemis to let you be."
	She never responded.
	When the door clicked shut behind Sora, she burst into 
tears and flung herself onto her bed, burying her face into 
her pillow. Tresses of thick, blonde hair billowed down over 
her trembling form.
	This was the first time in a long time she had ever 
cried herself to sleep. But the tears of sadness reached out 
into the Dreamworld long before she forgot her pain and was 
lost in the darkness of the dreamers.


	Kishi was standing beneath the torii, stern and grim 
eyes staring out at the jungle forests. His cloak of night 
fluttered around his body.
	And even though he did not face her eye to eye as she 
closed in the distance between them, she knew he was focused 
on her every word and motion.
	"Is it true?" she asked, her voice shaking. She was 
crying out to him to say it was all a lie.
	He slowly nodded. "It is, Milady. Every word. I was 
once a Shadowdemon, and by essence I still am. But I no 
longer fight with them. I am a lone wolf now, Minako, 
without angels nor demons to call my own. That is why I have 
no past."
	The dam burst, and now the tears flowed in a river of 
pain. So this was why he had wished for her to keep a 
secret: he had secrets of his own. She felt betrayed, 
deceived, and all the more frightened of a love that 
threatened to become extinguished.
	"Why didn't you tell me?" she cried.
	Now he turned, sapphire eyes of his own pain watching 
hers. "Because I didn't want to hurt you." He cast his gaze 
up to the crescent moon. "Perhaps it is cruel fate that 
would bring us together like this. I will make no apologies 
for what I once was, Minako. All I hold are regrets. Despise 
me. Spit on me. Burn my soul in anger or plunge it into 
eternal darkness. But know this, Minako-chan: I love you. 
And nothing will ever change that, not even if you decide to 
leave me now and never return."
	"Kishi," she whispered.
	This was a new face before her, one revealed with the 
tearing off of a mask that was so perfect she had never 
known its existence. The face before her now showed an 
honour unlike any other. A willingness to protect her, to 
die for her even if she hated him until eternity's end.
	She walked up to him, bringing his eyes to hers with a 
gentle touch her fingers brushed his cheek. And then she 
threw herself into his embrace, their pain becoming one that 
they would share together.
	"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked quietly.
	"As much as I believe in love," he answered, wrapping 
his arms tightly around her back. "this was a risk I found 
myself unwilling to take. I have seen the raven angel called 
Sora walk with you and your friends. Make no mistake, he and 
I have met before...and the encounter was not a pleasant 
one."
	He stepped out of her embrace, his hands trailing down 
her arms until fingers clasped together. And he began to 
turn the light upon his shadow.
	"Shadowdemons are borne without a face or form," he 
explained. "When I came to this gateway to claim it for my 
own domain, the raven angel here fought fiercely to defend 
this realm. Only until the end of the battle did I finally 
see why."
	His fingers slipped out from hers, and he seemed to 
feel more comfortable avoiding her gaze. Indeed he wanted to 
avoid his own gaze into a soulless creature that still lived 
dormant inside.
	"His last words were of you," Kishi said quietly, 
kneeling down to brush his fingers along the stones. "All he 
asked was 'please'. Before I could do anything his hands 
touched mine and I saw your face.
	"He had fallen in love with you, Minako. His raven form 
watched over you from afar since you were a child. And he 
could not bear to lose you or your beautiful dreams to the 
Shadowdemons. That is why he fought with every last drop of 
magik in his blood."
	Kishi's voice became choked, the forgotten memories 
surfacing and returning with the pain and scars of a life he 
did not wish to possess.
	"When...when I saw your face, your smile, I realized 
just what I had done. Never before had I wished to erase my 
actions. But there was nothing I could do, and he died in my 
arms."
	A tear caught a beam of moonlight as it fell down his 
cheek. It dropped to the stone floor of the pyramid, and 
became lost as it began to rain, soft yet cold.
	She found herself at a loss for words, unable to voice 
the storm of emotions raging inside her heart. Betrayal, 
lies, hope, penance, devotion. And above all else love.
	Kishi turned, staring out at the jungle forest sprawled 
out from one moonlight horizon to the next. "I defied the 
Shadowdemons that night, seizing the fallen raven's domain 
as my own. I became its protector, thought dead by my own 
shadows and scorned by the raven angels."
	He ran his fingers down his cheek. "This face was--is 
the one of the soul who loved you until the end, Minako-
chan. I discovered his love and honour, making it my own. 
And I swear that I shall do nothing to cause you pain."
	They turned towards the jungle forests as the pride of 
dragons he commanded once more spread wings and soared up 
into the night skies.
	"What are the dragons, then?" she asked.  
	Brooding returned to his face, though with the secret 
coming to light the burden was fading from his heart. "They 
were once serpynts, the rampaging beasts of the Shadowdemon 
riders. When I became a rogue soul within this dream world, 
all of my serpynt pride stayed loyal with me. They are now 
peaceful, and thus dragons. This has become their haven as 
it is now my sanctuary."
	Kishi's fingers laced with hers. "All I can do is pray 
that what I do now will wipe clean the blood of the raven 
angels I have slain, that you can still find a reason to 
look upon me with those sapphire eyes, Milady. I won't hold 
any ill will towards you if you leave. If you wish to strike me, 
I will not strike back. Your scorn is truly what I deserve, 
and all I ask is that, even if you do not return to my kingdom, 
please know that I will always love you."
	She turned away, still overwhelmed.
	So many secrets, so much pain. It would take time to 
heal this bridge burned, but at least now the process could 
begin. Yet could she forgive him for such incredible 
deception? She needed time to think.
	Time alone, away from both friends and dreams.
	She opened her mouth the speak, to tell him of her need 
for a sanctuary of solitude. But no voice came through her 
lips, cut off by a new voice entering the Emperor's kingdom.
	"Get away from her, Kishi."
	She turned, stunned by this new voice. There was such 
malice laced in those words that she could hardly believe 
they were spoken by a soul with such a gentle voice.
	"Sora," she whispered.
	Sora's eyes locked on Kishi. "Get away from her," Sora 
said icily, emerging from the torii.
	Kishi bristled, growling. His sapphire eyes flashed 
fiery red. "On what authority?"
	"You would deceive her with lies," Sora said, stepping 
forward with visible intent to unleash magik. "You would 
give her pain and torment. I thought I had seen all the 
evils of your kind, but this is unforgivable."
	"How would you know what hell is?" Kishi snapped 
angrily. 	
	"I'll warn you only one last time," Sora said. "There 
will be no other chance, demon."
	She looked to her lover, who simply broke free from her 
and took a defiant step forward. "So be it then," Sora 
growled. A chill with the winds swept past her, and she 
recognized the aura of his growing magik. 
	"Kishi, no!" she cried out.
	But she was too late in her hopes to end a conflict.
 	Draygn's Fyre erupted, a stream gushing out to the 
raven angel and striking him in the chest. With a scream 
Sora was thrown onto the stones of the pyramid, vests 
scorched and tattered. Blood dripped from the cut across the
raven angel's chest.
	Yet Sora arose and faced Kishi, the two warriors glaring 
at each other as fierce auras erupted from their bodies. She 
was looking from one the next, the events happening too fast 
for her to react. And then she found herself lost in a 
shadow.
	The dragons were swarming.
	"No!" Kishi barked, a swift gesture of his arm to hold 
the creatures at bay. "This is my fight, and I shall take 
care of it."
	Within Sora's palms a fury of whirlwinds gathered, 
cycling and swarming and eager to be unleashed. The power of 
a typhoon, a Devil's Tail soaked in water, summoned upon Sora's
call to the magik still locked inside.
	She could hardly believe what her eyes saw. They were 
both ready to kill each other over her! "Stop it, both of 
you!" she exclaimed. She tried to step forward but a wave of 
their combined magik forced her back, nearly throwing her 
from the top of the pyramid.
	"You really haven't changed since you last tried to 
take my domain of the Dreamworld," Sora said. "All this talk 
of penance is as much of a lie as the stolen face you now 
wear."
	Kishi's eyes widened in burning fury. "KUSO!!" he 
shouted.
	Suddenly the stone beneath Sora's boots shattered, 
exploding and venting up both blue fire and shards of the 
broken rocks. The raven angel screamed as he was caught in 
the eye of the storm, the full power unleashed at ground 
zero.
	The angel's eyes were closed, body tumbling across the 
roof of the pyramid, limp as a ragdoll. Sora finally rolled 
to a stop, bloodied and beaten. Wings were limp at his 
sides, feathers torn off and others still glistening with 
blood.
	Kishi slowly stalked towards the fallen raven, a dark 
glint in his eyes. "Now," he said with pure malevolence in 
his voice. "it's time I finish what I once started."
	Something snapped within her. Now she had a chance to 
react, and all she could fixate on was Sora's eyes weakly 
fluttering open to behold Kishi's final invocation of death. 
 	"Stop it!" she screamed. "Please stop!"
	She came between them, cradling the fallen raven in her 
arms. Sora's eyes closed once more, and he moaned quietly as 
she held him. With their embrace Kishi froze, and then turned 
away.
	"Ki-chan?' she asked.
	He slowly walked away, turning his back as the cloak of 
night swung out around his form. "Leave me now," he said 
quietly. He did not look back.
	"Ki-chan," she whispered, stepping forward with her 
hand outstretched. Now she understood. She had seen his past 
and his pain. There was nothing left for him but a love to 
protect her to his death.
	Suddenly the emperor whirled, eyes ablaze. A fury 
exploded from around him, the gales forcing her back. She 
clung to Sora, holding him tight in fear of his weakened 
form taking more injuries. 
	Kishi seemed oblivious, lost in his own private rage. 
"I said leave me!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the 
jungle forests. 
	A wave of fire unleashed wrapped around them, fierce 
but not consuming. Yet with it was incredible power: the 
magik to send them back to their world.
	The realm of the waking hours.
	As the flames overtook her vision, she was able to see 
the dragon emperor one last time. He had dropped to his 
knees, hands crossed over his chest and clutching his 
shoulders, eyes shut and squeezing out tears. One single 
teardrop shed hurt her more than any number of drops of her 
blood shed.
	"Ki-chan!" she cried out desperately. If only she could 
tell him how much she loved him, that she understood his 
pain. But her voice was lost to the firestorm. And her 
senses lost to the magik of the Dreamworld.


	Sora was still in her arms when she snapped back her 
head to let out a stifled cry. She was half expecting the 
flames to be at her bedside too, but it was not so. The room 
was dark and quiet.
	The red numbers of a bedside clock proclaimed five 
hours since midnight had passed.
	"Minako?" came a groggy feline voice at the foot of her 
bed. Blue eyes widened at the sight of Sora. "Minako! What 
happened?"
	The raven angel moaned weakly, hoarse gasps for breath 
the only sign of life. And those were only making her feel 
worse. His wings were still sprawled out, bleeding and torn 
apart. Feathers littered her room.
	"There was a fight in the Dreamworld," she answered. 
The black robes and crimson sash were still around her body, 
once worn when she lived with Kishi inside her dreams. Had 
the Dragon King used that much magik to fling her out from 
the dream?
	"He needs help badly," the white cat said, voice 
quivering over such a shock.
	She felt Sora's wings rustle, brushing her hands.
	How would the hospitals treat a broken angel's body? 
Did his wounds need medicine or magik? She knew that the 
only ones she could turn to were her friends...and they were 
the ones she feared to face. 
	"Call Rei," she said quietly. "We'll take Sora to her 
temple."


	"He'll live," the dark-haired shrine girl said, closing 
the shoji behind her. Beyond the partition laid a recovering 
angel, though not far from turning the other way.
	Everyone sighed in relief; they all had been called 
about Sora's condition, told to come out to the Shinto 
shrine. But while her friends wore faces of distraught 
shock, she found herself lost in brooding silence. It had 
been a long time the messenger of love had found herself in 
such a state.
	"How long will it be until he recovers?" the blue-
haired genius asked.
	The dark-haired shrine girl's eyes already answered 
before the words came. "He's wounded badly, and slipping in 
and out of consciousness. I don't know how his body heals 
itself...Gomen."
	"You did the best you could," the odango-haired blonde 
said with determined hope. "Don't worry, Rei-chan. He'll be 
awake soon."
	She turned away as a few eyes were cast in her 
direction. She was feeling sick to her stomach. As much as 
she wanted to avoid facing them with the dark truth, she 
knew she had to let it come to light.
	"Who did this?" the tall brunette growled, turning to 
her. She recoiled slightly as the tall brunette's fist 
struck a timber of the building's verandah, the force enough 
to leave a visible dent in the wood.
	The white cat looked at her. "Minako?"
	She lowered her gaze, unwilling to look at her friends. 
"Kishi," she said quietly, the tears starting to gather at 
her eyes once more.
	The second shock of the night hit, and for a moment 
silence reigned.
	"What?" everyone chorused.
	And so she explained everything, omitting nothing from 
Kishi's past or from her dreams. When she finally finished 
describing the battle between Sora and Kishi, no one else 
spoke for a long time.
	Then the tall brunette started stalking out from the 
shrine grounds.
	"Mako-chan, where are you going?" the odango-haired 
blonde asked with concern.
	"I'm going to find this bastard Kishi," the tall 
brunette answered. "I'm going into the Dreamworld." 
	Panic set in for her. "Mako-chan, no!" she screamed, 
racing to stand before her friend. "Please, don't face him! 
He's not a Shadowdemon anymore. Please, let me go to him 
first. Kishi is not evil, Mako-chan!"
	She was crying now, uncontrollably.
	"I don't care," the tall brunette growled. "He's going 
to pay for what he did."
	"Mako-chan...." she whispered with her last plea.
	But despite all this she knew why her friend was going 
to face the Dragon King. Sora had been the first true love 
the tall brunette had ever experienced, crossing through realms
to be with the young woman. And if something attacked the 
raven angel, then they attacked the tall brunette.
	The tall brunette disappeared beneath the Shinto 
shrine's torii and down the front stairs. The others could 
only stand and silently watch the vengeful lover leave them.
	She whirled to the dark-haired shrine girl. "Do you 
have any sleeping pills?"
	The dark-haired shrine girl blinked in surprise. 
"What?"
	"I need to reach Kishi first," she answered.
	"Minako-chan," the blue-haired genius said. "Why?"
	"Don't you understand?" she pleaded. "Kishi's soul is 
torn apart now. If Mako-chan attacks him in this state, he 
will kill her!"
	Her friends still wavered, uncertain to where their 
loyalties were.
	"I love him!" she cried out, dropping to her knees. "If 
you don't give me the pills now, I'll go home and get them 
myself."
	The dark-haired shrine girl looked to the two other 
young ladies for guidance. They could only mirror the girl's 
uncertainty with their own eyes. 
	She felt so alone as she knelt upon the ground. Sora 
was hurt because of her, Kishi was hurt because he loved 
her, and now her friends were being divided because of her. 
Was this love? Or was this the curse of such love?
	Her eyes slowly looked up as she felt a gentle arm rest 
upon her shoulder. The odango-haired blonde was smiling. 
"We'll help you, Minako-chan. I believe in you."
	She felt her soul lift with her friend's smile. "Usagi-
chan," she said quietly, gripping the odango-haired blonde's 
hand.
	The blue-haired blonde looked to the dark-haired shrine 
girl. "If Kishi's as powerful as Minako-chan says, then he 
could seriously hurt Mako-chan. We need to protect her."
	The dark-haired shrine girl sighed. "Okay. For you, 
Minako-chan, I'll get the sleeping pills."


	The dragons were eerily silent this night.
	The Dragon King, their leader and emperor, was standing 
beneath the torii as he silently and grimly watched the 
jungle forests that were of his stolen domain. Whether or not 
he noticed her enter the Dreamworld was uncertain. If he 
noticed, he avoided her entirely.
	"Kishi," she said quietly, approaching him. Her royal 
garments of darkness and crimson fluttered in the night 
winds. 
	"I asked to be alone," he said, his voice harsh.
	Harsh but not sincere in his words.
	She could hear the despair, the longing to be with her 
once more. Yet the pain and sorrow pulled him away, tearing 
at his soul.
	"Let me face Sora's princess alone," he stated. "I 
won't ask for mercy. I won't defend myself. Maybe then in
death I can find serenity and peace for a soulless creature."
	Tears were streaming down her face again. "Baka!" she 
exclaimed, slapping his cheek. "You would throw your life 
away just because of the past?"
	He absorbed the blow, and winced. "The past is what I 
am."
	"The past is what you once were," she stated. "I have 
looked into your eyes and seen compassion. I have been in 
your embrace and felt gentleness. And I have kissed your lips 
and tasted love."
	This was not something she had rushed into. This echoed 
of something beyond destiny, growing in power and magik for 
thousands of years. Kishi had watched over her from afar for 
most of her life. Angel or demon, he still loved her.
	This was love, pure and passionate.
	He stared at her, his own eyes trembling. "Minako-
chan..." he whispered.
	"Ki-chan," she said quietly. "I understand. And it has 
made me realize how much I truly love you. So long as there 
is a day to a night, we will always be together. I will never 
leave you."
	He stood before her and then swept her up in his arms. 
With gentle tears of both sadness and joy he cried. She let 
him cry on her shoulder, her own eyes of tender compassion 
trembling.
	"I owe you everything," he said, straightening and 
wiping away the trails of his teardrops. "My life, my realm 
and my love. Without you I would have no heart or soul. 
Milady, I would be honoured if you shared this dance with 
me."
	She smiled, trailing a fingertip down his lips. "You 
always did know what to say, Ki-chan."
	And they would have danced together under the pale 
moonlight. They would have if the winds were not against 
their love.
	Something stirred.
	Something dark, evil and there among the shadows of the 
jungles. Their kiss was cut short as a cold wind swept past 
the three of them. The winds were heralding a creature as 
dark as the midnight where it lurked.
	Abruptly a cold gale swept past them.
	He swung around, defensively staring out at the vast 
expanse of his kingdom. Sapphire eyes narrowed, growing cold. 
She could feel his entire body tense up, though not like 
before. He was not hiding a secret.
	He was facing a fear.
	She held her breath as her eyes caught sight of a 
pulsating mass of stormcloud move towards the pyramid. Yet it 
snaked out with tendrils that pulled the writhing body of 
darkness forward. Rumbles from the living shadows caused the 
jungles to shudder, though not from a storm. But from 
laughter, dark and evil.
	The cloud descended, holding its pulsating form of 
chaotic darkness. It settled before them both, and two eyes 
opened up from the clouds.
	Eyes of malevolence and terror.
	The laughter began again, harsh and sadistic.
	"Kishi," she whispered, her grip on his arm tightening. 
"What is happening?"
	Yet he seemed oblivious to her words. Instead he spoke 
to the contortions of the darkness. "This is my domain, 
Akurei," he stated, raising one hand over his head. The open 
palm burst into the crackling blue flames of Dragyn's Fyre 
magik.
	He had called the creature by its true essence: an evil 
spirit. A demon yet beyond demons. A nightmare of the 
Dreamworld, living to destroy all that was beautiful. 
	The Shadowdemons had come.
	A cruel smile punctured the darkness with glistening 
rows of hideous fangs. "Ah but you are one of us. Her Majesty 
sent me to find you. For a long time we thought you were 
killed in your conquests. When your power resurfaced, the 
Shadowqueen sent me in the hopes that you were still alive."
	The cruel smile became a scornful glare of hatred. 
"Imagine me finding you here living in a dream you were to 
have conquered, frolicking with these mortals as if you were 
a raven angel."
	"Kishi," she said quietly, her growing concern. While 
she was still a fighter, she was in a state without her 
ability to combat something so powerful. She didn't even know 
if Senshi transformations worked in the Dreamworld.
	"Milady," he whispered, still defensively standing. "Go 
to the torii, and escape before the battle begins. I fear I 
cannot guarantee your safety otherwise."
	The writhing mass of shadows cackled. "Such a pity, 
Kishi--if that is now the name you have taken; your conquests 
were once legend. Now they shall be stripped from our 
memories and you will become more hated than those with the 
raven wings."
	"I would rather become your enemy than a consort of 
your evil," he answered. "Now leave my kingdom or face my 
wrath."
	The darkness cackled once more. "You? One who has taken 
on the form of a fragile mortal body? For such impudence, I 
will tear the skin off your bones and hang your rotting 
carcass in my great hall where the Bogeymen dance in my 
honour."
	Kishi stepped forward, and with an enraged wave of his 
hand defied the words of his former self. "A creature of evil 
has no honour!" he snapped, forced to once more face hated 
memories. "My eyes were opened. Don't you see? There is no 
honour is destroying such beauty! We are nothing more than 
petty ravagers!"
	A menacing growl echoed across the tops of the step 
pyramids within the jungle forest. The Dragon King turned to 
her, eyes pleading for her to leave.
	"Minako-chan," he said. "I don't want to see you hurt."
	She shook her head. "Ki-chan, I can't leave you here to 
face this alone. Not after feeling your pain."
	Eyes of darkness slowly fixated upon her, and she 
cringed under their evil glow. But as much fear as she felt, 
this was not the first nor would it be the last time she had 
faced a battle. She was more than a messenger of love. 
	She was a soldier for it.
	"Is this the angelic little soul who has poisoned your 
mind against us?" the pulsating cloud asked, taunting them 
both. "Is it her beauty that is giving you such pain?"
	"Damn you, leave her out of this!" Kishi snapped, 
placing himself between her and the demon.
	"Such pain in those mortal eyes you've claimed," came 
the rumble of the Shadowdemon. "Let me end your pain by 
ending her life."
	No words were uttered as the explosive wave of blak 
magik smashed into his body, throwing him across the top of 
the pyramid. Dust was sent up in a thick cloud as his body 
tumbled over silver stone.
	"Kishi!" she screamed.
	A multitude of dragons rose up, with a chorus of roars 
that shook the forest from one horizon to the next. They had 
stayed with their emperor and found a new life of serenity. 
And they too were ready to die in defending both it, their 
emperor and his beloved princess.
	"Turncoat beasts," the ancient evil snarled, raising a 
clawed hand with which to strike down the pride of this 
kingdom.
	"Wait!" came a new shout.
	The Shadowdemon slowly turned, burning eyes focusing 
upon the lone female soldier challenging its blak magik. "I 
will not let you destroy such a world of beauty with your 
cruel darkness. I am the soldier of love and justice, Sailor 
Venus. And your evil is unforgivable."
	"Bah!" the Shadowdemon scoffed, darkly amused with her 
actions. "Mortals make no difference. Man, woman, child; I 
live to see them all die." 
	Her eyes burned with righteous anger. And her own breed 
of magik, born of an Earth of waking hours, surged out from 
her body, gathering strength in the aura around her.
	"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" she shouted.
	The attack struck the darkness, and was absorbed 
without any visible damage. She recoiled in sudden fear as 
the Shadowdemon laughed.
	"Is that the extent of your powers, little girl?" it 
taunted.
	Suddenly the shadows convulsed, the attack exploding 
out from its sides or front or back with a stream of glowing 
orange light. The creature let out an enraged howl. It 
whirled, glaring at her defiant stand.
	"That," it hissed. "hurt."
	Magik of blackest nights and darkest evils began to 
crackle and gather with its summoning. With incredible speed 
a bolt of magik reached out and struck her body.
	She found herself unable to scream as her entire form 
was subjected to the feelings of agonizing pain, as if she 
was being stabbed with hundreds of tiny needles and burned by 
white hot fires.
	Her body was catapulted from the pyramid, sent hurling 
with debris over the precipice of the highest platform. She 
kept her eyes closed, aware that she was plummeting to her 
death. 
	"Kishi," she whispered.
	And then abruptly she felt herself come to a jolting 
stop followed by a graceful flight. Arms wrapped around her 
body to keep her aloft. She slowly dared to open her eyes as 
she felt the wind flowing past her body, now gathered in firm 
arms. She was in the embrace of Kishi.
	And he was flying.
	Twin wings were at his back, dark and leathery like a 
bat, tipped with claws and appearing like those possessed by 
a demon creature. They had torn out from his garments, 
shredding his cloak into tattered strips that danced out 
behind him.
	He brought her back to the top of the pyramid. "This is 
my fight," he said to her. "Know that I only want to protect 
you, to know that you are safe." He glanced over at the 
crimson gateway. "Run beneath the torii. You will leave this 
realm and awaken, and I will fight to see you escape."
	"Kishi," she said, trying to find words to express what 
she was feeling. So much to tell him and perhaps no other 
time left. To tell him how much she truly loved him.
	They spun to the sounds of dragon battle cries and 
vicious howls. The pride serving their emperor converged in a 
ferocious swarm around the creature threatening their domain.
	The Shadowdemon struck down the valiant beasts, and 
many rained down with blood and broken bodies. Kishi opened 
his mouth and let out a shout:
	"Enough!"
	His winged comrades backed off as the Shadowdemon 
turned to once again face the reason for its coming. "Ah, you 
are still alive? Impressive that such a seemingly fragile 
body could withstand my powers."
	"Beneath this fragile body lies a force that owns the 
same powers you wield," Kishi stated. He turned to her. 
"Milady, please. I ask you to leave me be. Let me be your 
knight, if only for this one battle."
	Despite all that had happened, all the hurt and secrets 
and tears, he was still willing to die to protect her. He 
indeed loved her, and kept his vow of honour.
	In that moment she fell in love with him even more. 
"Ki-chan," she whispered.
	"You've gotten too damned sentimental!" the Shadowdemon 
snapped, and with a wave of a shadowy tendril it sent out a 
wave of blak magik that caught the Dragon King's body.
	He screamed as he was torn from her grip, catapulted 
across the pyramid, his body stopping only when it hit the 
stone structure that was the pyramid. The silver stones 
cracked apart, crushed by the power of the blow.
	Kishi slumped to the ground, still alive but losing 
strength. He lifted his head only to see a second wave 
rampaging towards him. His body was lifted once more into the 
air, colliding with the torii. 
	The gateway buckled as he struck the base, ricocheting 
off the crimson form to land sprawled out near the edge of 
the pyramid. His wings were bloodied and torn, feebly trying 
to curl around his body for one last piece of protection.
	"Milady...." he rasped.
	"Now witness what such useless emotions have given 
you," the creature of darkness proclaimed. "Shin'ne." And 
with that last word came Kishi's sentence of death.
	His eyes never widened as he watched the frenzied storm 
of magik tore through the stone to reach him, a destructive 
power focused to a single shot that would tear through his 
body in a heartbeat. He had not the time nor the strength to 
retaliate. He watched with both a ferocious glare and a grim 
bracing for what might be his last breath of life. To think 
that for all he had suffered through and won, that he would 
die here, like this. Yet if it was for her, then it would be 
his final act of penance.
	The sickening rip of torn cloth and flesh echoed across 
a silence that seized the air. Blood sprayed out in an almost 
majestic geyser, droplets staining everything around them. 
Once beautiful eyes slowly closed. A heartbeat began to slow, 
doomed to stop.
	He could say nothing. His mouth was agape in shock and
horror as she collapsed back into his arms, the blow meant
for him now dealt unto her. Her form was so slender and small
yet not without its own vibrancy that had first captivated 
his eyes in that fatal battle so long ago. 
	And it was her silhouette now that convulsed, snapping 
back in shock and pain as the attack shot through her. The 
sounds of it puncturing her chest only to punch through her 
back echoed with a sickening ring in his ears. He could see 
bits of her fuku lost from her body, torn apart.	
	Crimson droplets rained down, splashing across his 
cheek. Her blood, her lifeblood now stained the side of his 
face. He was frozen in horrific terror, unable and unwilling 
to allow what he had just seen to be reality.
	"MILADY!" he screamed, catching the fallen Senshi in 
his arms as she fell over. Her blood was all over him: his 
face, his hands, his chest. He laid her down on the floor, 
unable to speak or do anything but watch her.
	"Daijo...bu," she whispered, reaching up to clasp hands 
with him, their fingers lacing together. "Kishi...I--"
	He shook his head, a finger pressed gently against her 
lips. "Shhh," he interjected. "I...I can heal you. Dammit, 
don't you die on me, Minako-chan! I won't let you!"	
	His voice was unsteady and unwilling to admit her 
wounds. He ran his fingers through her tresses of long blonde 
hair. Her blood was soaking her garments and his, a growing 
pool of crimson beneath her body. The wound was too large to 
ignore, to lethal to hope against.
 	She smiled softly through the numbing pain, her fingers 
reaching up to touch his cheek. "Such beautiful eyes," she 
whispered. 
	There was nothing else he could say except to call out 
her name, to call her back into his arms instead of leaving 
him alone in two worlds.
	"Ki-chan," her last breath whispered. "I love...."
	His eyes were trembling in horrific refusal to accept 
what he saw. "IIE!!" he shouted in frantic rage, shaking her 
body. "Damn you, Minako! You promised we would always be 
together! You said you would never leave me!"
	But her lips were silent in death.
	He threw back his head, lifting his voice to the moon 
and the stars and the heavens far beyond. And then a howl 
shattered the stillness of the night, one that echoed across 
the jungles and reached into all borders of the Dreamworld.
	"MINAKO-CHAN!!!"
	He was beyond weeping, jaw clenched though no tears 
came to his eyes. Only rage burned within, searching for a 
direction to vent, for a place to lash out.
	"Now you see," came the cold words of the Shadowdemon. 
"She is but of mortal body. Her beauty was destroyed with a 
mere wave of my magik. You can never find such sanctuary is 
something so fragile as love."
	His eyes widened, burning with the blue fury of a 
sapphire. Fists clenched and drew blood, the crimson streams 
igniting in his palms. He whirled, facing the Shadowdemon.
	"You bastard," he snarled. 
	It began to rain, neither cherry blossoms nor raven's 
down, but water, cold and thick. A torrential downpour, 
brilliantly sparkling as lightening turned the skies into a 
pulsating storm of enraged magik. 
	"Return to us," the Shadowdemon's voice drifted past 
him with the gales of wind. "Return to our Empress...or feel 
the frailty of this mortality you have chosen."
	Kishi tore his eyes away from the darkness, from what 
he was, and held his fallen princess. She had loved him 
enough to be willing to die if it meant protecting him. He 
had been willing to face the same fate.
	But why her? Dammit, why her?
	Time became lost as he gently ran his fingers down her 
cheek. He forgot about what he was, the shadowy reflection of 
his past looming before him. All he cared about was her 
stolen beauty, her stolen life.
	"I may be immortal as a demon," he said, his words 
echoing across the winds of the ancient evil. "But I would 
rather spent a short time in the arms of love, in Milady's 
embrace than live forever in a cold black night of the 
Shadowdemons."
	Gently he took her in his arms, holding her body 
against his, nuzzling cheek to cheek. She was growing cold 
already. Such a hideous feeling.
	"I wish I had been the one to fall," he whispered to 
her. "Forgive me, Minako-chan. I failed you." He kissed her 
lips one last time. "I love you."
	Kishi turned, facing his nemesis. The crackle of an 
electrical arc rose up from the ground, wrapping around his 
body. It quickly faded, but was replaced by another. And 
another. And another.
	"One night will come where we shall together again," he 
stated, dedication burning through his newfound soul. "Where 
nothing you can do will destroy our love."
	The Dragyn's Fyre exploded out from his body, 
encircling the top of the pyramid. For the first time the 
Shadowdemon revealed fear at a magik it had never before 
encountered. The flames were still swarming around his form, 
raging out of control. The rippling air that held the fire 
back from sweeping across the entire kingdom in a hellborne 
gale suddenly died, the flames fanning themselves. Forged 
into a new shape the crackling blue flames opened out in 
circular formation, like the petals of a blooming flower.
	And there at its heart was Kishi.
	He growled, reaching up and touching the thick rivers 
of his own blood that were now covering his temple and 
running down his cheek and neck, onto his chest. His hands 
were soaked with blood...her blood. He stalked through the 
flames unharmed, his body moving as if possessed. 
	The court of dragons hissed in low tones, awed and 
terrified by what they had never before seen or felt. He 
failed to hear their voices. His face was lowered to the 
floor, shadows of his shimmering moss-green bangs covering 
his eyes. Yet with every inch of his being he was seething, 
clenched fists trembling in almost uncontainable fury.
	He snarled, slowly raising his head to level a 
murderous gaze with the storm that was the Shadowdemon. A 
deadly reflection of his former self. And two sapphire eyes 
thirsting for revenge gazed into the darkness.
	"Until that night comes," he snarled. "I'll be content 
to see you burn in hell."
	His aura of fire turned the black sky into an eerie 
blue dance of shadows. Not even the rains could end the 
burning flames. The dragons were reaching a frenzy, feeding 
off of his exploding magik.
	"I found a reason to possess a soul," he stated. "I 
found a reason for living. And even if it means my own death 
I will not let you steal the only thing I have left to 
treasure."
	"Damn you," the Shadowdemon hissed.
	"I'm already damned!" he snapped. He raised his hands 
ramrod over his head, palms shaped to cup the crackling blue 
fires that were swarming around his body. "And if it must be 
that way forever, then you shall join me."
	Something swept across the tropical jungles, something 
with enough force to send cracks sprawling across the step 
pyramid, something powerful enough to cause the Shadowdemon 
to brace itself against the blast.
	It was magik borne of a different emotion.
	One that demanded retribution no matter what the cost.
	Glowing sapphire eyes opened wide in rampant ferocity. 
All his hair danced wildly around his face as gales rose up 
atop the pyramid with enough force that the billows of winds 
could be seen as waves of misty grey.
	A battle aura unlike any other erupted from his body, 
tearing the garments from him, fabric scraps incinerated upon 
leaving his skin. The blast sent numerous dragons sprawling 
backwards across the neighboring pyramids with a startled 
yelp. Even the Shadowdemon seemed to back away into the heart 
of the heavens as the aura of hidden magik unfolded before 
them all.
	A mandala of markings appeared on the ground, circling 
around him, each with a different and ancient rune glowing 
upon it. The silver rock just beyond the ring of runes were 
suddenly shattered into dust, the pulverized remains 
exploding into up into the skies.
	His eyes closed, fingers moving into strange gestures, 
lips chanting barely audible words. Suddenly the runes 
glowed, and from the edges of the jungles, pillars of light 
bearing the same designs as the runes shot into the black 
heavens, moving across the skies to form an enormous 
Pentagram that engulfed the entire kingdom. Five seals, five 
magiks, five furies: all were at his call.	
	His command.
	His desires.
	A mark upon his forehead flickered, the rune strokes 
erupting into beams of searing blue light. And it was the 
seal of Shadowdemon, the mark they held as loyal servants to 
their Empress, the pure unrefined magik of their Queen given 
unto them. Black smoke poured out from behind him, flooding 
the pyramid and swarming around those caught up with the 
battle. It engulfed her silent body. It engulfed the dragons. 
And then it swallowed up Kishi and the demon.
	Everything became like night, dark and cold.
	Eyes of pure lust for revenge leveled with the 
Shadowdemon. 
	"HELLION SERPYNT!" he shouted. 
	A raging firestorm exploded from where he stood within 
the circle of runes, and he disappeared from sight in 
crackling scarlet flames that swallowed up the blue fires. 
Scarlet turned to black. And within the darkness two blood 
red eyes slowly opened. A growl escaped the magik.
	The Hellion Serpynt had been awakened.
	And it was hungry.
	"SHIN'NE!!!" Kishi bellowed, flinging the shockwave 
that carried with it the beast into the dense darkness that 
was the Shadowdemon. The Hellion Serpynt, invoked from a 
slumber lasting millennia on end, searched for a prize to 
satisfy its hunger. The magik wrapped itself from flames into 
form, giving birth to a monstrous creature with burning eyes 
that looked to devour what it could. 
	It found the Shadowdemon.
	"Impossible!" the creature of darkness exclaimed. "The 
Hellion Serpynt serves no one but our Empress!"
	But it hungered, and looked to claim a victim. And 
Kishi knew this. The entity of the Shadowdemon would be 
enough to content the rampaging beast and let it return to 
slumber. 
	Jaws opened as it fell upon the Shadowdemon, and rows 
of blazing teeth shimmered as they sheared through its form. 
The Hellion Serpynt clamped down, thrashing about and tearing 
the evil to shreds that were consumed in the coils of the 
fiery beast that closed all around.
	"One of us!!" the Shadowdemon screamed pathetically, 
its howl fading as it became oblivion. "Traitor! You were 
once one of--!"
	And then the evil that was once a Shadowdemon was 
destroyed forever. The Hellion Serpynt unleashed a delighted 
roar, the roar taken up by a chorus of dragon howls. With one 
explosive burst the summoned beast took to the heavens, 
turning black night into brilliant noonday before it was lost 
among the stars and the clouds.
	Serene darkness of the moonlit night returned once 
More before the rains began again.
	The magik faded away.
	Exhausted, both in mind and in matter, Kishi dropped 
wearily to his knees. The dragons of his pride alighted the 
top of the pyramid; some tending to him, others gently taking 
up the body of his beloved princess and carrying her to him.
	"Minako-chan," he whispered, placing himself overtop of 
her, wrapping his arms around her. "I loved you. Forgive 
me...."
	A solitary tear streaked down his cheek, nearly lost in 
the rain. Yet it stayed as a tear until it fell from his face 
and touched the pale skin of her cheek.
	He drew back as the teardrop shimmered with new light
and life on her face. Slowly her body began to glow, caught up 
in an aura he had never known or seen before. The aura of a 
guardian angel's magik.
	Her body lifted into the air, gracefully hovering 
before him. The Dragon King slowly rose to his feet, reaching 
out to touch her floating form. Upon his palms resting over 
her chest, the aura exploded into a blinding light.
	He flung his arms before his face to shield his eyes. 
And when he lowered them, he realized how much of a soul he 
truly possessed, for he felt it suddenly take flight as his 
princess stood before him.
	"Kishi," she said, taking his hand in hers.
	Her wounds were healed, her life returned. Those wide 
and sparkling sapphire eyes stared out at him, a smile across 
her face. For a moment he was too stunned to react. Recovery 
was a heartbeat away and he swept her up in his arms, raising 
her up off the ground with a wondrous laugh.
	He gently brought her down, their cheeks nuzzling and 
their lips meeting together in a fierce, passionate kiss. A 
new magik had been born unto the angel with demon's wings, 
and with it a miracle had been granted.
	"Milady," he whispered. "My princess of love."
	"Never again shall we be apart," she said, holding him 
tightly.
	Abruptly his entire body convulsed, jerking him away 
from her grasp. But this was not of pain or death; instead 
something else born of a new magik. And with new birth came 
new pain. But unlike the torment of a demon's wings, this 
pain would pass away quickly.
	With an explosive flood of raven's down, Kishi was lost 
from her view. Water turned to feather, raining down gently 
upon the pyramid. The storms ceased, and as the cascade of 
raven's down washed past her, there the Dragon King stood.
	He now wore the wings of a raven angel.
	Lifting his eyes up to the moon, he smiled. "Arigato," 
he whispered as a flight of raven shadows left their perch 
upon his torii and faded into the pale light of the moon. For 
a moment he caught sight of a young man with shining white 
hair and a golden horn watching him from above before the 
figure disappeared with the ravens.
	Arigato....
	He turned to her, holding out a hand. 
	"Please," he asked of her. "Show me your world."


	The morning sun of a dying September month rose up to 
bring light and heat to the world. New life was stirring 
within the city, yet in the grounds of a Shinto shrine there 
was no sleep to wake up from.
	Four weary young women found comfort in seeing the 
sunrise, for the night had brought with it turmoil and 
apprehension. The tall brunette had been called back, now 
laying next to her fallen raven.
	It was the blue-haired genius who saw the two figures 
slowly walked up the steps and cross beneath the torii. 
"Look!" she exclaimed, pointing to the silhouettes.
	The rays of the sun cast a new light upon the shadows, 
revealing a young man and a young woman walking side by side, 
hands clasped together.
	The young man wore royal garments of black and crimson 
that had once belonged inside a dream. His now tattered cloak 
had been discarded. The young woman also wore royal garments 
of black and crimson, the shoulder sash ruffling in the 
breeze.
	"Minako-chan!" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed, 
racing out and embracing the young woman.
	She smiled and patted the odango-haired blonde's head. 
"Usagi-chan," she said quietly. 
	One by one the others came out, each one watching the 
young man. The dark-haired shrine girl had suspicions. The 
blue-haired genius had concern. The tall brunette had eyes 
fit to kill.
	"If I have hurt you in any way," the raven knight said, 
bowing to them. "then I am indeed sorry."
	The tall brunette growled, but was cut off.
	"Let him be," she said to her friend. "You don't know 
what happened last night. Please, Mako-chan, let me explain 
first."
	Against her better wishes, the tall brunette backed 
down.
	"Kishi," came a new voice.
	All eyes turned to Sora, who had awakened. Recovery 
with his magik seemed to come quickly, and though his walk 
was wobbly it was till strong. The tall brunette came to his 
aid, letting the raven angel lean against her for support.
	Two souls, once enemies now faced each other.
	"I don't care how you see me," Kishi stated. "I don't 
care if you love or hate me. But I have gone through hell to 
be with Minako-chan, and I will ask that you at least respect 
that. You have every reason to hate me, Sora."
	The raven angel nodded. "That I do. Why should I 
believe you now?"
	"Other than the fact that I am here?" he inquired, eyes 
narrowing. Suddenly two enormous wings of raven's feathers 
erupted from his back, spreading out to encompass them both. 
Sora barely flinched as the torrent of feathers blew past 
everyone.
	"Then you indeed summoned the Hellion Serpynt," Sora 
stated solemnly. "For the sake of Minako-chan, I will accept. 
Betray her once more, and I will not hesitate to destroy 
you."
	Sapphire gazed coldly into crimson.
	Neither one backed down. Yet neither one attacked.
	"So be it," he finally agreed.
	It was once said by an enigmatic wanderer that every 
soul was destined to possess a ghost, something that would 
haunt every living creature. A darkness to the light perhaps, 
or a demon to the darkness already there. To remind us of 
what we are, to show us of what we have become no matter how 
much we are terrified by the mirror's true reflection. And 
other times...to give us the chance to forge a new destiny. 
To change what we were and follow a new life.
	He looked upon her face, and it shone like an angel's. 
	She turned to her friends, to the raven angel standing 
in their midst. "Everyone, this is Kishi, my raven knight. I 
have a story to tell you...."


=====================================================================

Tales of the Dreamworld, 3rd Night - The Wanderer's Tale
Rated R



	Lost: (adj) 2.a: having wandered from the path; 
	  unable to find the way  b: no longer visible  
	  c: lacking assurance or self-confidence; 
	  uncertain as to the direction or location; 
	  bewildered; helpless. 

			-Webster's 3rd International Dictionary


	Just as every life possesses an instance that can be brought 
to life in words, the event becomes a chapter in a book, a story for 
others to gaze upon and be swallowed whole within the realm.
	A realm beyond the waking hours, forged from the magik of a 
thousand dreamers and their dreams. Within every soul lies a story 
to tell, each event a tale to give unto others.
	These tales, both surreal and sensual, are but a few of many 
chapters in a world given breath by a creator. Her name is Naoko 
Takeuchi. The people and their lives are of her heart and soul. They 
belong in her embrace. But the lost soul of the Wanderer and the 
Dreamworld he travels through belong to another, and they are of my 
skin and soul. I embrace his solitude and secrets as my own 
children.
	I ask that none may steal any of them away from their 
creators. The world of the Moon Princess and her royal court belong 
to Naoko Takeuchi. Their hearts and souls belong to her; they are a 
part of her stories. But the realm of the waking dreamers, and the 
enigmatic nomad who journeys eternal amidst this place, are a part 
of my own story. Milady Naoko's princesses belong in their castles 
beyond the moon, and my wanderer belongs with a destiny to roam the 
Dreamworld. 
	One of honour does not become a petty thief; I ask for your 
requests if you wish for the raven of the shadows to wander into 
other worlds and other stories.

	-His lordship Chaos  (hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com)



	"The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
	 But I have promises to keep,
	 And miles to go before I sleep,
	 And miles to go before I sleep."
							
				-Robert Frost
				 "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening."



	"When we are weary, we speak lovingly of dreams as if they 
	 embodied our true desires--what we would have when that 
	 which we do so sorely disappoints us. But for this wanderer, 
	 the concrete world has always been the true object of his desire. 
	 And weariness only came when the world seemed dreamlike."
				
				-Anne Rice, "Ramses the Damned"


	
	For centuries I have wandered this realm that is the 
Dreamworld. Perhaps blessed, perhaps cursed, to be between two 
worlds yet not a part of either one. There is an inherent danger in 
trying to forcefully cross beyond the gateways. Magik may be 
powerful, but it is also arbitrary. And can shift loyalties if used 
wrong.
	I learned such a lesson many years ago. I am but a myth in my 
own right, a ghost in the darkness. My dreams are filled with 
wanderings of beautiful realms and hellish kingdoms. I have no place 
to call home. It's been so long that I don't think I could ever feel 
at home unless I was without one.
	Though I may seem lost, in truth I know exactly where I am. No 
matter how dark the skies seem to be, no matter how hard the rain 
falls down upon you, there will come a time when everything will 
end. That is the first moment you reach out and believe in the magik 
that is love.
	Many souls, many dreamers have I met here. Each one has a tale 
I have listened to. Every soul has a tale to tell, and even I am no 
exception.
	Let me tell you a story...


	THE WANDERER'S TALE


	Violet eyes stared into the crimson flames. They burned before 
her, sacred and hot. They had been burning constantly for as long as 
she could remember, for as long as her grandfather could remember. 
	She was a priestess of a Shinto shrine, gifted in her own 
psychic powers and thus alienated by her peers. All until she had 
met the odango-haired blonde, and a soldier's destiny. The world 
grew quiet for a time after that. And for a time she thought 
everything was at peace within her.
	Then came the raven angel. And after him the raven knight. Two 
warriors from a world beyond dreams and dreamers, their own breeds 
of magik vivid and sensual. Each one had crossed over because they 
loved.
	They loved her friends: the tall brunette, the long-haired 
blonde. Such love she had only seen once before with the odango-
haired blonde and the dark-haired prince. And such a love she now 
found herself longing for.
	To find a soulmate, to find someone who cared for her until 
eternity itself came to an end. The magik shared between the 
guardian angels and her friends was one she could feel every night. 
Her body was tingling, excited and in suspense, longing for a 
release in the embrace of one she loved.
	And so she looked to the fire, using its own mystic powers to 
boldly step awake through a barrier that could only be crossed when 
a soul slept and dreamed. Perhaps in there, like her friends gone 
before her, she could find a guardian soul to love.
	They had told her not to pursue it. They had warned her that 
she was reaching into magik unlike any she had ever seen. Both the 
raven angel and the raven knight were grave in their words about the 
dangers in forcefully crossing over. The price was high, the 
damnation near eternal.
	Yet she continued.
	For much of her life she had been here at the Shinto shrine. 
And for the past few years she had discovered a new life as a 
mystical soldier. But now there was no more noise, and all she 
wanted was to feel for herself the passions in her friends.
	Her eyes widened in a heartbeat as the fires burned fiercer, 
the red glow intensifying and bathing the room in a pyre's aura. 
Something was happening; she couldn't lose focus. Not now, not while 
she was so close.
	A ripple of air cascaded through the room. The dimensions 
became warped as grey mists seemed to gush out like a river around 
her seated form. She could feel the crackling magik of the 
Dreamworld all around her.
	She was bringing it into this room. She was so close now, 
closer than she had ever been before. And then she lost control. 
Fear seized her body as a cold tempest flooded into the room, the 
loose folds of her ceremonial kimono dancing in the winds. The fires 
erupted, now a deep blue and brilliant white. Mist was blown about, 
swirling all around her.
	"Na ni?!" she exclaimed, half out of anger and half out of 
terror. Nothing, no words or warnings spoken by the two guardians, 
could have prepared her for this.
	A cloud of mist rose up and attacked, swarming around her body 
and enterring through every orifice on her face. She gagged and 
gasped for air as she felt it seep into her body, spreading like a 
plague.
	"Shimatta," she gasped hoarsely, clutching her throat.
	Her knees dropped onto the wooden floor. The room was blurred 
in her vision. She was barely even aware of the fusama being slid 
open and a young man enter the room.
	His scruffy brown hair was tossed around his face as the gales 
swept past him. The apprentice of the Shinto shrine raised his hands 
before his face defensively, eyes narrowing as he saw her.
	"Rei-chan!" he exclaimed.
	His figure became two and then four. Vision was lost and 
darkness settled into both mind and soul. "Yuichiro," she whispered. 
And with one last stifled moan she lost the battle.
	Her body slumped, rolling onto her back, the glow in her eys 
fading to a dark violet hue. The young man gathered her in his arms, 
desperately shaking her body in the hopes of a revival of her soul. 
But she was beyond his cries. She was beyond his touch.
	She was beyond their world.
	"Rei-chan!" he screamed. "REI-CHAN!!"


	It was cold atop the lofty peaks capped with snow and ice, a 
seemingly desolate place hardly credible for life. Yet there was one 
soul crossing through, leaving footprints in the snow, the winds 
invoking his silver cloak to flap around his body.
	The makings of an illusion gave him warmth. He felt no chill 
though he was wearing a black, formal suit and open jacket. Long 
blonde hair flowed around his shoulders, dancing much like the 
cloak.
	He found it strangely comforting to be alone up here amidst 
the mountain peaks. Though it meant in one way he was alone, in 
another way it too meant he was alone. No need to concern himself 
with the hobgoblins or bogeymen. They had been following him for 
nights on end as it was, finally giving up the eternal midnight 
before last.
	All his eyes could see was the world of waking dreamers far 
below, glowing with its own auras in different borders. These peaks 
marked the highest points of the realm, and from here he could see 
almost everything. Here was the highest point in this realm, left 
alone by both angels and demons. A gateway laid further down and out 
of the snow. But up here there was nothing except him. And yet he 
was not quite there, a mere shadow of the man leaving footprints in 
the snow.
	A sudden gale of cold wind swept past him, sending his cloak 
high above his shoulders in a maddened frenzy. The wanderer turned, 
staring back at the Dreamworld far below. The wave of winds died 
down as abruptly as they had stirred to life.
	He continued to stare down at the borders in the glowing 
darkness, his hand reaching up to slide a pair of shades off his 
face. Two crystal blue eyes solemnly watched the world below.
	"So," he said quietly. "Another has come."


	The sun was beginning to set, spreading dark night across the 
open skies of the city. For many nights gone before, it meant a time 
to celebrate in passion and in magik, to share a lover's warmth and 
touch. But not tonight. For tonight one of them laid beneath the 
covers of her bed, lost within a dark and dreamless sleep. Not quite 
alive yet not quite dead.
	"Rei-chan," the odango-haired blonde cried, still emotional 
after the first few hours of initial shock.
	They all had gathered together after the shrine protege had 
called them. He was upset to say the least, but understood that they 
were a part of this event. He could not ignore the two guardian 
angels and their powers.
	Each girl had come as quickly as they could. Matters were 
already complicated, but since her grandfather had been away paying 
homage to ancients long since passed on, there was less to worry 
about.
	"This is all my fault," the young man said, striking the 
wooden timber with his fist. "If only I had been there sooner I 
might have saved her!"
	"Yuichiro," the tall brunette said, trying to calm him down. 
The stress was showing in all their faces. Such a loss affected all 
of their spirits.
	"We all play a part in the blame," the raven angel countered 
sadly. "Our warnings should have been more than mere words, and now 
she's paid the price and wandered beyond."
	"I'm just impressed she managed to get this far," the raven 
knight said. "I would have never expected a Shinto shrine maiden to 
break through what other, more powerful wisemen have failed at."
	The blue-haired genius glanced over at her sleeping form. 
"Where is she, then?"
	Two warriors glanced at each other, exchanging looks of ill 
ease. "Rei-san's between worlds," the raven angel answered. "In 
trying to open up the Dreamworld to her, she opened herself up to a 
magik that cannot be controlled by those in this realm."
	"It works the same for us in regards to your magik," the raven 
knight agreed. "We cannot force our way into Earth or else we are 
destroyed from the inside out. But now her spirit is walking between 
two separate realms at once, making her but a ghost in either one."
	"How awful!" the odango-haired blonde cried, curling up into 
the arms of the dark-haired prince. The dark-haired prince held the 
odango-haired blonde tightly, a warm embrace giving as much comfort 
as it could.
	"Is that where she is, Sora?" the long-haired blonde asked, 
seated next to the raven knight. "Is Rei-chan in the Dreamworld?"
	Sora nodded, fingers clasping with those of the tall brunette. 
"Hai, Minako. Even now she is awakening. Yet she cannot return to 
her body in this world unless we can find a way to bring her back."
	"What about the Dreamworld itself?" the blue-haired genius 
asked. "How much danger is she facing?"
	The memories of the raven's knight former life and shadow, and 
the deadly battle waged to regain a soul, came back to haunt them 
all. No one spoke for a time.
	"Kishi?" the long-haired blonde pressed.
	The raven knight grimaced. "With Shadowdemons and their 
minions lurking in every corner, she is in very real danger. Rei
 could wake up in the heart of a shadow kingdom. If so we wouldn't 
ever be able to save her."
	"Don't say things like that!" the odango-haired blonde 
exclaimed angrily, hot tears spilling down her cheeks.
	"Usa-ko," the dark-haired prince whispered, trying to soothe 
the young lady with a gentle voice. Deep blue eyes turned to the 
guardian angels. "Is there any way we can locate her aura before 
then?"
	"The guardian angels have too much on their hands as it is 
looking over this world's dreams," Sora said. "And she's now a lost 
soul, nearly impossible for anyone to track. She's become a ghost in 
both realms now."
	"You're only limited in your sensory powers because you are 
limited in where you can go as angels," Kishi stated. "You and I 
both know that as a former Shadowdemon, I held access to the entire 
Dreamworld. I know the scents of every kingdom. Out of the two of 
us, I stand a better chance at finding her."
	The raven angel bristled. "Your kind only used that freedom to 
conquer, Kishi."
	The raven knight said nothing in response, but the expression 
on Kishi's face revealed he knew all too well the truth in the 
Sora's words.
	"Can't anyone do anything?" the odango-haired blonde pleaded, 
frantic to claw for any last hope remaining.
	The raven warriors turned eye to eye, and knew the thoughts of 
the other. "There is only one who could possibly help her," Kishi 
stated. "And he himself is but a myth even in our world."


	Her world was still reeling as she slowly pulled herself off 
the damp earthen floor. The shrine maiden's garments she had worn 
were still around her body, wet and grass-stained. With a groggy 
disorientation that could only come of crossing through realms, she 
tried to regain use of her senses.
	She was sprawled out on the grasses of a forest floor, knarled 
and tall trees looming all around her in a circular border that 
marked a strange clearing. The canopy of leaves overhead had 
swallowed up any light; she couldn't tell if it was night or day. 
Yet the forest seemed to radiate its own aura and despite the 
dancing shadows in every corner she could see. 
	She rose to her knees and finally to her feet. A throbbing 
arose in her skull and faded. "Where...where am I?" she moaned, 
clutching her forehead. 
	Slowly she turned to every angle and saw the forest. This was 
not her world; it did not look like her world nor did it contain the 
magik of her realm.
	"Am I...am I in the Dreamworld?" she whispered.
	What had happened? If only she could think clearer. The fog 
was still rolling around inside her skull, clouding her vision and 
her mind.
	And then she saw beyond the forest: she saw the creatures 
lurking within its borders. They might have, in another life, been 
humans. They possessed the form and slight appearance but that was 
it. Skin tinted purple, bulging albino eyes, savage teeth, elongated 
fingers with claws, a gangly scarecrow-like bipedal stance: they 
were grotesque creatures not meant for the natural world.
	Her breathing quickened as the small cluster closed in around 
her, eyes alight in decadent evils. They looked like goblins or 
kappas. And yet she couldn't accept this; such creatures were myth. 
They never existed in her world.
	Unless this wasn't her world any longer....
	"No," she whispered. And with a grim revelation she knew where 
she now was. The realm beyond the waking hours, beyond the sleeping 
dreamers. This was the domain of the Dreamworld. And the things 
before her were its angels of darkness.
	Minions of the Shadowdemons.
	They were indeed hobgoblins.
	She growled, suddenly on the defensive. Fear was never quick 
to remain in her mind; it was rarely ever an option. If this was to 
be her fate, then she would take down as many of the spawns as she 
could.
	"Ara ara," one remarked, a stretched finger tapping its cheek 
in a dark, quizzical manner. "It would appear a lovely young lady 
has decided to pay us a visit."
	Her head darted from one goblin to the next. They were at all 
corners of her vision, some beyond. Unless she transformed she 
didn't stand a chance. But could she transform here?
	"Shimatta," she cursed under her breath.
	The long-haired blonde had become a senshi once to protect the 
raven knight. Could she do it now to protect herself? Her hand 
reached into the folds of her kimono, pulling out a ward. With a 
rapid chant she summoned the powers of the spirits.
	"Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen. Akuryou 
taisan!" she shouted, launching the paper talisman at the nearest 
goblin. It shrieked as the ward struck its face, burning with 
sickening black smoke.
	But the creature simply tore off the ward, a burnt strip of 
purple-tinted flesh left in its place. "She's got real bite to her," 
it cackled. "I love that in a woman."
	She stepped back, faultering. Why didn't the ward work on 
these things? Was it...was it because their magik was different from 
hers?
	"A bitch like her must have an incredible body beneath such 
loose robes," another goblin laughed. "It's like she's begging for 
us to rip it off."
	Her eyes widened in horror as she looked from one creature to 
the next. "No," she whispered. This couldn't be. This couldn't be 
happening.
	They were going to rape her!
	She had no time to even consider transforming. One goblin 
darted forward, tearing at the folds of her kimono and exposing her 
chest. He laughed sadistically at the sight of her breasts.
	"Bastard!" she exclaimed. With a vicious kick to his groin, 
she leaped away as the hobgoblin let out a startled scream, 
clutching his genitals in agony.
	She desperately tried to cover her breasts, disheartened by 
the fact that in doing so she would be left nearly defenseless 
against their brutal attack. There was no time to transform, even if 
she could do that.
	Abruptly something hard--the heel of a foot--struck her back, 
sending her sprawling into the ground. She groaned as the thick mud 
was caked onto her skin, staining her kimono.
	"You damned bitch!" the goblin swore, still panting to control 
the pain. "I'm going to make sure you feel for that one!" He turned 
to the others. "Hold her down."
	She grimaced as he released his member, holding it in front of 
her like he was preparing for torture. "You're going to open your 
mouth and take what I give you, slut," he snarled.
	She struggled, but had neither the strength nor the spirit 
left to keep on fighting. They had already won, and she was going to 
be subjected to a physical hell by their hands.
	"Someone," she said in a hoarse whisper. "Tasukete."
	Help me....
	And then the shadows of the forest came to life.
	One hobgoblin glanced away as rustling swept across the 
clearing of the forest. "Did you hear that?"
	"Shut up!" the leader snapped, eyes glazed over in pure sexual 
malice as he started to kneel forward towards her face. She closed 
her eyes and tried to wake up from this nightmare. 
	"Tasukete," she whispered again.
	Another shadow rustled, this time with an audible thud! as 
something large and heavy landed onto the forest floor from the 
treetops above. Scuffling footsteps, rapid and brief echoed across 
the knarled trunks. It was moving.
	The goblins holding her down were starting to show a new 
emotion: fear. Their eyes were wide, nervously licking their lips as 
their breathing rate tripled.
	"Master," one hissed. "There's something down here!"
	"You ready to swallow it, bitch?" their master snarled, his 
grotesque member practically in front of her face now. 
	Her eyes were open, trembling in terror at what was about to 
happen: she was going to be raped by these savage creatures. She 
found herself fixated on the eyes of her brutal rapist, trying to 
find something human in his inhuman eyes.
	There was nothing but evil.
	And then there was something new. Confusion. Apprehension. 
Fear. The creature forgot about her, his hand falling from around 
his sex as he looked out past her into the forest.
	"What the hell?!" he exclaimed.
	Suddenly his body was blown backwards, struck by something 
unseen yet visible. As if the very air had come alive and forged a 
solid fist. The hobgoblin shouted as his body twisted around, 
crashing into the forest floor--which suddenly became like a river 
of mud that was quick to claim his body and swallow it up.
	His comrades frantically screamed and cursed. She was 
forgotten as they released her and charged to aide their master. 
Slowly she struggled to right herself, propping her upper body up 
with her arms. Her eyes darted to the source of the screams.
	The brutish creature was immersed up to his mouth now, 
burbling and choking on the dark mud. His eyes were wide as they too 
were sucked down, all that was left now were his two arms from the 
elbows up. One hobgoblin made a flying leap to grasp for one hand 
before it went under.
	He grappled onto fingers just as they were claimed by the mud, 
and fought to bring his master up from the cursed ground of the 
forest. Then came slack, and the goblin toppled backwards, screaming 
with a bloodied, severed limb of the master in his hands. The 
goblin's eyes were wide in newfound terror, dirt and blood staining 
his arms. The severed limb was thrown away, and panic swooped into 
the clearing.
	The rustling began again, of something large and swift weaving 
through the trees around them. The hobgoblins were whirling in every 
direction, frightened squeals coming from their mouths.
	And she was also frightened; the entire ordeal growing worse. 
Before she might have been raped. And now she might be viciously 
slaughtered with them.
	The air moved again in a burly, towering form. She could hear 
loud raspy breath as the shadow stalked past her sprawled form. And 
then the beast had vanished, invisible once more.
	The closest goblin was first. His head abruptly snapped 
forward as a geyser of blood erupted from the back of his skull. The 
head was torn off from the shoulders, rolling and bumping against 
the foot of another hobgoblin, leaving a gory trail behind it.
	Only two more creatures remained.
	One was whimpering, darting around the clearing. He was close 
to the trees--one step too close. Roots came to life as something 
reached out and seized his arms and legs, claws digging into his 
skin and drawing thick streams of blood.
	The goblin screamed as the claws pulled him into the trees, 
until he was frozen halfway into the knarled form of the trunk, eyes 
wide and forever trapped in terror.
	But within the trees she could see knarled bark rippling, a 
face emerging. Two large, yellow eyes fixated on her, and then on 
the last hobgoblin alive. The bark rippled and was still.
	She couldn't find a voice for her fear, slowly backing away 
from the tree. Was she next? Was it only attacking those who had 
attacked her? How fast would death come?
	Suddenly the last goblin rammed into her, elbow over her 
throat and fingers tightening around her windpipe, choking out the 
air.
	"I'll kill her!" he screamed in a mad frenzy, his fingers 
tightening around her throat. "You hear me?! I'll kill the bitch, I 
swear!"
	There was a low growl and a hot blast of air from behind.
	And then the hobgoblin screamed his last, hoisted off the 
ground as two enormous claws punched through his chest. The body 
went limp quickly, the goblin drooling blood and spit.
	She screamed in utter terror,throwing herself forward and 
racing. Her tattered and mud-stained kimono weighed her down, yet 
she almost flew like a raven across the clearing in frantic 
desperation.
	A shadow rippled in her peripheral vision.
	She threw herself left, leaping over a tangle of roots. Her 
foot struck them, and she tripped. Her body tumbled over the tangle, 
falling in a heap at the base of the tree.
	The raspy breaths were approaching.
	Her eyes caught sight of an opening in the ground, a place 
where bowed roots had hollowed out a small cavern. Her body 
scrambled into the opening, fighting past roots and grasses. Once 
her waist made it through, she slipped in with ease. Huddled there, 
trembling from head to toe, she waited for the beast to come. And 
prayed that it would leave her alone. The raspy breath stopped, 
replaced instead with slow footsteps. Something was walking on the 
tangle of roots overhead.
	She tried to push herself as far to the back as possible.
	The beast hopped down.
	Her eyes were unable to believe the sight of two human legs in 
pants and shoes making an imprint in the damp ground. They shifted 
before her; the beast knew where she was.
	She was crying again, the faces of her friends appearing in 
her mind. They were all smiling, and this would mark the last time 
she would ever see them.
	"Usagi...." she whispered as the bubbly smile of the odango-
haired blonde flashed before her. For as many times as they had 
argued with each other, she only wished she could have told to 
odango-haired blonde how close she held the girl to her heart.
	Something shuffled at the opening. And then two eyes hidden 
behind a pair of shades appeared, looking at her. They belonged to a 
human, a young man, who solemnly stared at her.
	"Komban wa," he remarked evenly.
	She froze, not out of fright but out of stunned shock. One 
heartbeat ago she had been ready to die at the hands of a savage 
invisible ghoul. And now this young man was staring back at her.
	He cocked his head sideways. "Are you going to say something?" 
he inquired. "Or are you just going to huddle in there?"
	He seemed friendly, warm and open. Nothing like the savage 
brutes who had just tried to rape her. At least they received what 
they truly deserved: no mercy. 
	Carefully she looked at the young man. He seemed to be one 
willing to help. There was something about his smile that she 
trusted. It was a beautiful smile.
	She extended a shaky hand, and he skillfully grabbed it. With 
his own free hand he touched the tangles web of roots. They moved 
aside, enlargening the opening enough for her to crawl through with 
ease.
	"Sorry to scare you like that," he said, helping her out. "but 
trust me, it is very satisfying to let those damned goblins feel 
absolute terror before you kill them. I didn't mean to frighten you, 
though. Gomen."
	She found herself fixated on him. At first he seemed to good 
to believe: a lone knight valiantly coming to her rescue. But was he 
responsible for the carnage back in the clearing? She realized that 
there was no one else. It had to be him.
	"You...you were the one who saved me," she said quietly. 
	He nodded, scooping his hand around her back and sweeping her 
up in his arms to carry her out. She felt too weak and emotional to 
do anything else but let him.
	"What about that thing?" she asked, violet eyes darting around 
the forest.
	With a skilled leap the young man sprang from the ground, 
bounding over the roots and onto smoother grasses. "That was a 
ruse," he admitted. "As I said before, it is satisfying to let them 
feel true terror. That beast you think you saw was just a construct 
of my imagination."
	She glanced down at the forest floor. "Oh."
	He let her feet touch solid ground again, but she was staring 
down at herself: bruised, dirty and with a few trickles blood. Her 
kimono was torn and muddied. Her entire soul felt dirty and 
corroded.
	"Shimatta," her rescuer said as he too stared at her body, 
grimacing. "If I had only been here a few minutes earlier. I wasn't 
expecting someone to drop into a shadow kingdom like this. You're 
just lucky I was nearby at the time."
	"Near...by?" she asked, still trying to sort through the 
muddled array of thoughts going through her mind.
	He pointed to the veil of green leaves far above their heads, 
and the branches parted to form an opening. Through it she could see 
a set of towering snow-capped mountains in the distance.
	"The flight over took a lot out of me," the young man 
admitted. "But now I'm glad I nearly exhausted myself." He made a 
slow, elegant gesture with his arm.
	She sucked in her breath as suddenly her kimono healed itself. 
Her body too was cleansed, everything about her sparkling like the 
stars in the night sky. It was a rush to her system, a loving tingle 
of every nerve as she felt a magik work its way around her. With a 
slow turn she faced the young man.
	"Who are you?" she asked.
	"Allow me to introduce myself," the stranger said with a 
slight bow. "Kageno Karasu. Technically seventeen, and at one time a 
Sagittarius."
	He was dressed in strange garments, mainly because they were 
so familiar to her: black pants and shoes, a loose white dress shirt 
beneath a long dark tie and a billowing black jacket that reached 
halfway down to his knees. If she didn't know any better she would 
have guessed him to be enrolled at one of Tokyo's elite high 
schools. 
	His hair for the most part was long and flowing down around 
his shoulders, a brilliant shining blonde. And wrapped around his 
collar and shoulders was a large, flowing silver cloak that billowed 
out around his feet, rippling like the waves of the ocean. It seemed 
regal, but not as much when contrasted with his formal attire.
	The stranger hardly seemed the type to exist in such a place. 
And yet she couldn't shake the feeling that in truth he really 
didn't exist in such a place as the Dreamworld.
	Her eyes darted over to the shredded corpses littering the 
clearing of the forest. Those were the skins of evil that had tried 
to defile her in her moment of physical weakness. For that she would 
never forgive them or feel sorry for them in death.
	"What were they?" she asked solemnly. "Shadowdemons?"
	"You're already familiar with the Dreamworld, I see," Karasu 
remarked. He turned to the corpses. "They are not the demons but 
minions of those creatures. I call those particular things 
hobgoblins. 
	"If a Shadowdemon manages to conquer a guardian's domain, the 
dreamers within that domain become imprisoned. Many times the 
guardian will sacrifice themselves to send the dreamers through the 
torii and into the kingdoms of surrounding guardians. Sometimes all 
the dreamers make it out before the evil sets in. Sometimes they 
don't."
	She shuddered at the thought. "And they become like that?"
	"Regretfully, yes. They're alive, but living in a nightmare. 
Not exactly the nicest of creatures, I admit. And on more than one 
occasion during my wanderings they have been a real pain in the ass 
to deal with."
	He removed his shades, revealing crystal blue eyes that 
sparkled like the clearest of fountain springs. She sucked in her 
breath, and was oblivious to herself blushing. The Wanderer was even 
more handsome without his shades.
	He glanced around the forest. "We had better get going, 
Ojosan. More of them are bound to be lurking about here." He held 
out a hand to her. "Come with me. I'll lead you to a safer place."


	Midnight beams of moonlight poured in from the open fusama, 
casting silver light upon her sleeping form. She looked peaceful 
despite her soul being caught between worlds. All her friends were 
still awake, though exhausted and needing sleep.
	They were waiting for something, a word to give them hope 
that she was alive, that she had indeed survived. She was always a 
survivor, but could she survive a world beyond her own 
imagination?
	"The Wanderer has found her," Sora said abruptly, sighing in 
relief and opening his eyes from the meditation. 
	The raven knight was still rigid and oblivious, keeping 
contact with the realm of the waking dreamers. At least one of 
them had to remain there unless they wanted to risk losing her 
again. And still holding some essence of demon within, both knew 
Kishi was the one who should remain linked to both realms.
	The girls in the room stirred, awakened by the raven angel's 
words.
	"She's alive," the blue-haired genius said with a weary 
smile, embracing the tall brunette who was now awakening in the 
arms of the raven angel.
	"Where is she?" the shrine protege asked, tired but still 
very much awake as he sat crouched over her comatose form. "Where 
is Rei now?"
	"She is with the legendary wanderer of both worlds," the 
raven angel answered softly. "Know that with him she is safe."
	"What do you know about him, Sora-chan?" the long-haired 
blonde asked, rising up next to the seated form of the raven 
knight.
	"He is quite an enigma to even us," Sora admitted. "He's a 
ghost, drifting in between realms as he pleases, lost amidst the 
boundaries that divide them. But his heart and soul are bright and 
pure. He will protect her as long as she is trapped inside the 
Dreamworld."
	"Another knight?" the blue-haired genius asked.
	The raven angel nodded. "A different breed, yes but a 
warrior for the Dreamworld none the less."
	"He is the only one to be a raven by name and not by wings," 
Kishi whispered, still gazing into the other realm with closed 
eyes. "Even the Shadowdemons know of his myth. His name is 
Karasu...."


	The Wanderer was laying on his back atop a large, flat rock. 
His eyes were staring up at the stars. "How is the water, Ojosan?" 
he asked, not taking his eyes from the night skies above.
	She smiled as she continued to bathe herself in the bubbling 
hotsprings. This was exactly what she needed after going through 
such a hideous ordeal.
	"It's wonderful," she answered.
	"We can take our time here," he added. "You were lucky in 
that you had only strayed into the outer fringes of a shadow 
kingdom. Any deeper and we would still be walking."
	She let the steaming water warm her body, her nerves being 
soothed and pleasured at the same time. "Is it safe here?"
	"After the stunt I pulled," the Wanderer said with a dark 
grin. "no hobgoblin will be coming around here for a long time. At 
least until they figure out the beast was just an illusion."
	She smiled at the thought; a dark pleasure yes, but one she 
was reveling in. After what she had been through, what she had 
nearly suffered. She cupped a handful of water, raising it to her 
shoulders.
	"How long have you been here?" she asked, letting the hot 
water run down her breasts. The skin all around her body was 
tingling from the sensations, letting her forget everything else.
	He shrugged. "Around twelve hundred years, give or take a 
century. It's been a while since I last counted."
	She paused in the water, eyes wide. "But to be that old, you 
would...you would have had to been from the Silver Millennium!"
	"Ah!" he remarked, rolling onto his stomach. "I thought I 
recognized you from somewhere, not that I probably haven't caught 
a glimpse of your dreams before."
	She let out a startled shout, ducking down into the water 
with her hands over her breasts as he looked into the hotsprings. 
"What are you doing?" she exclaimed angrily.
	The Wanderer rolled his eyes, avoiding her glares but not 
looking away. He seemed to take it all in stride--that or he 
really didn't care whether or not she was naked. That felt a 
little more insulting to her than if he had tried to get a look at 
her body.
	"So," he remarked. "you were from the ancient moon kingdom 
as well. Might I inquire about your previous life, then?"
	Resignedly she realized that he was simply staring at her 
for the sake of the conversation--not that it wouldn't have 
flattered her if such a handsome young man found her sexually 
attractive.
	Even still she kept most of herself beneath the surface of 
the steaming hotsprings. "I was a princess," she said, carefully 
wading over to the edge.
	He cocked an eyebrow. "Wait, don't tell me!" He looked her 
up and down. "The princess of Jupiter!"
	She laughed and shook her head. "Not a chance. I was--I 
still am the princess of Mars."
	He sighed, replacing his shades over his crystal eyes. 
"Well, can't be right all the time. Besides, it's been over a 
thousand years since I lived in that world."
	"What were you in the Silver Millennium?" she asked. The 
fact that he was of such an ancient life brought with it questions 
of the past, memories that had yet to surface. And she hoped he 
could give her some answers.
	He leaned back on the rock, resting his hands behind his 
head. "I was a warrior-mage. One of the best around." He tossed 
her a crystal orb, and suddenly she felt a warm towel drop around 
her shoulders.
	She smiled, wrapping the towel around her body as she 
emerged from the hotsprings. Much of the towel fell into the water 
and was damp, though she found it to be suddenly dry as she 
stepped out onto the grasses next to the rock.
	Another slight of hand.
	"What sort of warrior-mage?" she inquired warily. His 
bizarre abilities had to be the result of his training, but it was 
a style she couldn't place even in her past life.
	The Wanderer sat up on the rock, stretching out his neck 
from side to side. "I'm a master of illusion. That's how I was 
able to take out the hobgoblins back there. In fact, I was so good 
that I ended up getting stuck between realms."
	Another crystal rolled through the grass, gently tapping her 
foot. With a flash of light the crystal became a folded set of 
robes for her to wear in place of her dirty and tattered kimono.
	"Arigato," she said quietly.
	"My pleasure," he replied.
	She reached back and discovered that her long dark hair was 
now tied back in a single tail, held together by a long blue 
ribbon. "I thought we could walk between both realms at once," she 
said, lifting the robes for appraisal. 
	High black boots; white, collarless blouse; violet, 
sleeveless vest left unbuttoned and loose, a crimson dragon 
rampaging across the front; pantaloons with a dark violet tint to 
match her vest; a long cloak of silver to match his. They were 
elegant and very flattering to her body, yet practical for someone 
with travels far ahead. 
	The Wanderer shook his head. "Being a walking dreamer is 
something different than a walking ghost, Ojosan."
	"You don't have to call me 'Miss' all the time," she said, 
chiding him. "I do have a name, you know."
	"So do I," he responded. "Though I for one have already 
given it to you. I've yet to have the favour returned."
	He smiled as she turned a shade of embarrassed pink; her 
error this time. "Oh...My name's Rei."
	"A beautiful name," he remarked, nodding with genuine 
approval. "Goes very well with your beautiful face." 
	She blushed.
	Karasu turned around, allowing her the privacy of changing 
into the new garments. She was thankful for his consideration.
	"So what happened?" she asked, slipping on her blouse.
	"It was ten years after the birth of Princess Serenity of 
the Moon, if my memory is right," he explained. "Come to think 
about it, that was ten years after most of the princesses were 
born. I had already discovered the realm of the waking dreamers, 
and thought I could force myself into their world. I wanted to 
learn the magik of the raven angels."
	He turned his head, looking at her from behind his shades. 
"You made the same mistake, Rei-chan. Our magik may be able to 
have us walk in both realms, but it's not the same magik of the 
Dreamworld. We can enter when we dream, but that's the only way 
through.
	"I used up a lot of energy in smashing through the barriers 
and wound up trapped. I never found my way home that night. Still 
haven't for that matter. Not that I'm entirely sorry; this is a 
nice place to live."
	She felt cold suddenly as she listened to him speak, even 
though his garments were wrapping her in warmth. If he, a master 
of illusions, couldn't find a way out, then what were her chances? 
What were her chances...?
	"How long until I might get out?" she asked quietly, 
lowering her head. She didn't want to face him, for as strong as 
she was the reality of his answer might still crush her spirit.
	Karasu shook his head, walking past her. "I don't know; time 
works differently here. I still have to figure it out myself. The 
fact is that if you make it back to Earth, it could be two hours 
or two hundred years later."
	The Wanderer paused in his walking and glanced back; she had 
stopped moving altogether, dropping to her knees and trying to 
hold herself as her entire body trembled.
	"Masaka," she whispered hoarsely.
	Two hundred years?
	Karasu slowly removed the shades from his face; within his 
eyes there seemed to be concern despite his indifferent attitude. 
Perhaps because he had been through this centuries ago and had 
grown accustomed to his fate. But for whatever reason, he still 
remembered the pain of discovery in the lesson learned.
	She found herself suddenly scooped up in his arms as he 
carried her over to a tree. Laying her down on the grasses at the 
base of the trunk, he stretched himself out next to her. No words 
were spoken, though his eyes said enough.
	He understood.
	And he cared.
	She found herself blushing again as she looked into his 
crystal blue eyes, and then turned away in the hopes that her face 
would return to its normal colour. 
	"Come on," she muttered to herself. "Think of something to 
say. Start up a conversation."
	She looked back to the Wanderer, ready to say something, to 
say anything. She wanted to thank him again for his kindness and 
protection. She wanted to tell him--
	He was out cold, sleeping soundly. At first her expression was 
an indignant one, but it soon softened as she watched him sleep. He looked 
so peaceful.
	It seemed strange to gaze upon a sleeping soul within a 
world of dreams. Yet Karasu was curled up in his cloak, the only 
sounds from him being quiet breathing.
	She crawled over to the Wanderer and curled up next to him. 
She felt safer beside the enigmatic young man, and for some reason 
warmer. Resting her head against his chest, the rhythmic beating 
of his heart lulled her to gentle sleep.
	"Karasu...." she whispered.


	A darkened sky was beginning to be painted anew in yellow 
and orange. The moon was gone, the sun soon to come. Day was on 
the verge of breaking through the night's starlit fortress as 
those within the Shinto temple kept their vigil.
	"She rests," the raven knight said, sapphire eyes still 
closed. "The Wanderer is still with her." His eyes were shut but 
still saw those around him: the raven angel, the dark-haired 
prince, the shrine's apprentice. 
	The young ladies had long since lost to a war with fatigue, 
and were sleeping in different corners in the room. The blue-
haired genius and the odango-haired blonde had collapsed next to 
her comatose form on the bed. The long-haired blonde had been laid 
down on another set of blankets brought in by the young man of the 
Shinto shrine. And the tall brunette was in the caring arms of the 
raven angel.
	"Can we do anything, Sora?" the dark-haired prince asked. 
"Is it possible for us to sleep and search for her inside the 
Dreamworld."
	Sora nodded. "You can, but keep this in mind: the Dreamworld 
is vastly larger than you think. Rei-chan could be anywhere, and 
there is also the chance she is in Shadow kingdom. Despite the 
presence of the Wanderer, that places her in grave danger."
	"We can handle the Shadowdemons," the tall brunette said, 
surprising the males. They had thought all others to be sleeping. 
And the tall brunette had, but it was a light and restless 
slumber. Their words had stirred an awakening.
	"The priestess barely survived hobgoblins," the raven knight 
spoke up, slowly opening his eyes. "and they are but the weakest 
of the dark creatures. Minako lost her life to a demon itself. You 
venture into such kingdoms, and the Shadowdemons will come for 
you. I can guarantee that."
	He turned to the sleeping long-haired blonde. "I don't want 
to risk losing Minako-chan in such a place. I almost lost her 
once. The Shadowdemons now know her face...as well as mine."
	Kishi's voice seemed choked, forcing back emotions of bitter 
rage. All those deadly memories of a life without a soul. Of a 
battle against Sora that almost ended in death for them both. 
	Sora was grave as well. "Nor do I want to lose you, Mako-
chan. You mean too much to me."
	"Sora-chan," the tall brunette whispered, arms wrapping 
around his neck from behind. Head pressed against his chest, the 
tall brunette's eyes looked up to the raven angel. "We won't lose. 
Not Rei-chan. Not to anything out there."
	"Then let me go!" the young priest stated loudly, rousing 
the others. "Dammit, let me search the Dreamworld for Rei!"
	"You don't know what you're saying," Sora said solemnly. 
"There are over a thousand kingdoms, and not all of them are ruled 
by guardian angels."
	"To hell with the risks!" the shrine protege snapped, eyes 
blazing beneath scruffy bangs of brown hair. "If it will get her 
out, then I'll do anything."
	"The Wanderer has no doubt learned of her fate," the raven 
knight said. "He will most likely bring her into my former domain 
or else Sora's. Her aura will be easier to find in those places 
since our magik is still closely tied to them."
	"Please, Kishi!" the young man said, down on his knees. He 
seemed adament about going, determined to find their lost friend. 
"I'll take the risks, and those risks can be damned for all I 
care. But I refuse to sit here while Rei-chan's in danger!"
	He glanced away. "I love her," he said quietly, his passion 
exhausted from his voice.
	"You all are exhausted from this ordeal," Kishi stated. "It 
is far from ending, but at least try to get some sleep. Use your 
access into the Dreamworld as a means of searching for her. Sora 
and I will help. But let us define the boundaries--for your safety 
and for Rei's."
	The young man nodded, drained but relieved. "Hai."
	And so they slept once more. Not one soul within that 
building of the Shinto shrine was awake five minutes later. Their 
hearts and minds were already walking the beauty of the 
Dreamworld, paired up for protection.
	But no matter where they were, only one cry escaped their 
lips: "Rei-chan!" And the voice of the young shrine protege 
carried further than anyone else's.


	"Rei-chan!"
	Her eyes fluttered open; was someone calling her? The voice 
seemed to fade, perhaps simply a ghost caught in the winds. She 
stirred, coming out of a dreamless but comforting and warm sleep. 
As she opened her eyes, she saw Karasu looking down at her face. 
He was so close that she could feel his warm breath. It smelled of 
the air after a rainfall.
	"Komban wa," he remarked. "Sleep well?"
	"Komban wa, Karasu," she said, smiling. "Hai."
	The crystal eyes seemed to sparkle. "Great. Now would you 
mind removing your hand?" His nonchalance about the remark 
startled her.
	But then she was startled even more when she saw that her 
hand was in fact wrapped around his waist. Moreso she had 
practically crawled on top of him in her sleep, sprawled out over 
his body as if she were his lover. 
	With a yelp she scrambled off, blushing immensely from head 
to toe. Karasu stretched himself out and loosened his tie. 
	"Thank you," he said courtly. "Another ten minutes of being 
perfectly still like that, and I think everything from my neck 
down would have been numb permanently."
	"G-gomen," she stammered. It was all she could say.
	The Wanderer simply straightened and with a large yawn 
stretched himself out. As he stood his clothes seemed to ripple as 
if passing through a sparkling wall. Another illusion, she 
realized, one that seemed to clean and refresh his attire. As she 
stood the same illusion took place with her robes.
	"Breakfast?" he inquired, walking to the rock overlooking 
the hotsprings. It was still night, and a crescent moon shone 
brightly overhead. "You can have your heart's desire, Rei-san."
	Unsure of what to expect, she warily gave an answer. 
Surprise still managed to take her when Karasu dropped a crystal 
orb onto the rock and with its shattering a literal banquet 
appeared.
	"I always enjoy a little of everything when I eat," he said. 
"Come on, Rei-san. An illusion may have created this meal but I 
can assure you that the food is very real."
	The aromas were already reaching her, and with a rumble of 
her stomach she realized how hungry she really was. Seconds later 
found her wolfing down a bowlful of rice with a pair of ohashi 
that had her named engraved in jade down the sides.
	The Wanderer just stared at her as he watched her polish off 
in minutes what took him much longer to eat. "You really were 
hungry, Rei-san."
	Soon after she leaned back, fully satisfied. "Arigato," she 
said with a sigh.
	He nodded. "I was thinking about how to get you back," he 
said, adjusting his shades. "We'll need to cross through numerous 
kingdoms in the process, but getting you back to your world is a 
possibility."
	At least there was hope in that, but even still the daunting 
question of time plagued her. She could be gone here for only a 
few hours and return to a Tokyo two hundred years from when she 
went in. She tried not to dwell on that; she had to keep her faith 
in her friends.
	Karasu was making a map in his mind, somewhat oblivious to 
her now. "Kaika's domain will cut travel down by a day...but then 
we would be borderline to a shadow kingdom...perhaps Chie's realm 
might be wiser..."
	She asked, "Why are there so many different kingdoms here?" 
	With a snap of his fingers, the Wanderer's meal faded out of 
existence. "Each domain gives to itself a unique brand of magik, 
thus giving each guardian a unique power. And since in your world 
there are dreamers on the other side of the globe while you are 
basking in the noonday sun, the divisions in the Dreamworld are 
made to accommodate that."
	He stood, brushing off his pants. He seemed ready to start 
about on another journey, and she saw no choice but to follow in 
suit. Resignedly she had to admit that Karasu knew more about the 
Dreamworld than she.
	"What about the Shadowdemons? Do you have larger defenses on 
the borderlands?"
	Karasu shook his head. "The Shadowdemons don't have to worry 
about keeping a central empire or their borders. Their borders 
keep themselves. Once taken over nothing short of a miracle can 
recover the lost kingdoms from a hostile evil that forever plagues 
a once rich and beautiful realm. As a result, the Empress' 
kingdoms are scattered across the Dreamworld at random, depending 
on a Shadowdemon's success at conquest."
	His silence became her silence as well. As a senshi she had 
faced the darkness of evil before; that such evil could be found 
even in this beautiful world seemed cruel. 
	"Maybe Sora could help us," she suggested.
	"He belongs more to your world now," the Wanderer countered. 
"Besides, you are technically a ghost and almost impossible to 
track by anyone either here or on Earth. It's all a part of being 
a lost soul."
	She never truly heard his last words, though his first words 
were what became trapped inside her mind. Karasu was proving to be 
fully of strange surprises. "You knew Sora?" she asked.
	"I've heard tales of him," the Wanderer answered. "The first 
raven angel in a long time to find a way into your world. The 
magik from his love still ripples through a few dreams. The raven 
angels will find trouble in attempting to locate your spirit, Rei-
san. Our best bet is to head west, towards Sora's old kingdom."
	"Why there?" she asked.
	"Sora still holds access to the torii," he answered. "And 
his sensory powers are amplified within the borders. If we can get 
you there, we double your chances of a rescue."
	He stood up from the rock, brushed off his jacket and pants, 
and began to set a pace, departing from the hotsprings. She kept 
in step beside him, persistant in her questions. The better she 
knew the Dreamworld, the better off she was.
	"How long will it take us to reach Sora's realm then?"
	The Wanderer shrugged. "Depends on what we find along the 
way. If we are constant in our travels, giving way to sleeping and 
to rest stops, then maybe a few weeks. And that's if we somehow 
manage to miss any trouble that might come our way."
	"Weeks?" she exclaimed.
	"Calm down," he said, tilted back his neck to avoid the 
brunt of her attack. Under his breath he muttered, "The problem 
with Earth girls is the noise." Aloud he said, "Daijobu, Rei-san. 
Remember time works differently here. You might already be years 
into a coma back on Earth."
	"How long, then?" she asked dejectedly.
	"My best estimate is fourteen nights," Karasu replied.
	This confused her a little. "Doesn't the sun ever come out?"
	He shook his head. "This is the Dreamworld, existing only 
from dusk to dawn. The night here is eternal."
	This only managed to confuse her even more. "But doesn't the 
moon ever set?"
	"Iie. It just revolves around the sky on a vertical axis. 
The only change the moon makes is in its quarters. Sometimes a 
crescent moon, sometimes a half and other times whole. But that's 
just the way this world works. Don't blame me; I'm just passing 
through here."
	She couldn't help but smirk at that. "You've been passing 
through here for over a millennium, Karasu."
	"True," he admitted with a laugh. "Very true. We have a long 
journey ahead of us, Rei-san. I recommend that we start now if 
you're done with the interrogation."
	And so their journey began, and for the first night in over 
two hundred years the Wanderer found himself in more than just the 
company of his own shadow.
	He smiled to himself as he quietly whispered her name. "Rei-
chan...."


	The rays of the setting October sun were igniting the sky in 
a brilliant display of red, orange and yellow. From her place at 
the Shinto building's verandah, the odango-haired blonde watched 
the distant sunset.
	"It's been two days since she fell into the coma," the 
odango-haired blonde asked the dark-haired prince. "Do you think 
Rei-chan will make it?"
	The dark-haired prince seemed to hold the odango-haired 
blonde a little tighter in their embrace with those words. "I 
don't know," he admitted quietly. "We just have to keep hoping, 
Usa-ko." 
	They both turned as another soul stepped out onto the deck. 
"The others are getting ready to enter the Dreamworld again," the 
raven angel said. "If you wish to join them in searching, you too 
should get ready to sleep."
	"What are you going to do, Sora-chan?" the odango-haired 
blonde asked.
	The raven angel sighed with regret. "All Kishi and I can do 
is watch over her travels until she comes to one of our former 
kingdoms. To know that she is in good health is better than 
knowing nothing at all."
	She nodded, the hope still within her. "We'll find Rei-chan 
and bring her out."
	Sora smiled at the odango-haired blonde's compassionate 
tenacity for her friends. No wonder they all were willing to die 
in protecting her.
	"We'll find Rei-chan," the odango-haired blonde said again, 
slipped through the fusama with the dark-haired prince. 
	Sora turned his head as he felt a presence in the shadows 
appear next to him.
	"But what of the Wanderer?" the raven knight asked quietly.
	Sora shook his head. "I don't know, Kishi. Legend holds that 
he never found a way out and never will. Why should this time be 
any different?"
	"Legend also holds that he has helped at least a dozen 
others who became trapped like him," Kishi countered. "Maybe 
there's a chance to bring him over. Think of what we could learn 
about our world from him. Of what he has seen."
	Crimson eyes started out into the night. "Karasu helped 
others over at the cost of his own twisted immortality. I don't 
think he'll make it out with Rei. But the question is: if given 
the chance to see what he has seen, would Rei want to return?"
	The raven knight moved past Sora. "That decision is not ours 
to make, Sora. Don't dwell on it; we have other things to focus 
on."


	Cherry blossoms, petals pink and delicate, rained down all 
around them. Rows of thin, brown trees were everywhere, kept in 
perfect rank.
	They were walking through an orchard that stretched out to 
the horizon any way she turned. They had been in this orchard for 
two nights straight. Already four days had passed in a blur of 
magik and wonder.
	She found herself questioning how many memories she could 
carry with her when she returned to her world. But would she? She 
looked over at the Wanderer by her side.
	"This is Kaika's domain," he said, reaching out and 
snatching a few petals from the air. The silver cloak around his 
shoulders was gone; he was now dressed in his suit. "Very elusive 
and very protective. Whatever you do, don't carve your initials 
into a tree."
	She laughed. They had spent so much time together now, both 
in sleeping and in walking. It was his crystal eyes that she found 
herself waking to in the early hours of the eternal night. And it 
was his rhythmic heartbeat that lulled her to sleep at the end of 
a night's travels.
	Many nights she told him of the end of the Silver Millennium 
and their rebirths in Tokyo city on Earth. He listened somberly, 
having witnessed a few instances of these battles but not certain 
in every detail. He seemed grateful for the knowledge. For the 
chance to bring closure to it all.
	Karasu, though, was proving to remain very much an enigma; 
new revelations came night by night. Some were surprising, such as 
his remark last night that she was indeed an excellent singer as 
she hummed while she was bathing.
	"You knew I was a singer?' she had exclaimed.
	The Wanderer had simply nodded. "With my illusions I can 
cross over to Earth, you know. I'm not just confined to here--
though I can only stay a short while on Earth. The Fire River 
Temple is a wonderful place this time of year; maybe I'll visit 
when this is over. But yes, on a few trips I have heard you 
singing. Keep up the practice, Rei-chan."
	That had taken her aback for most of that night. Although it 
was disheartening to learn that she had not enough power to cross 
over as a ghost to her world as Karasu could, it did comfort her 
to know that the Wanderer had watched over her from time to time. 
Maybe that was why he was being so friendly to her.
	Maybe that was she was falling in love with--
	She turned her head as a chorus of giggles echoed through 
the trees and the rainfall of petals. A brief image of two little 
children playing together appeared and faded ten steps from them.
	The Wanderer motioned down the rows of trees in the orchard. 
"Some of the beautiful dreams existing in Kaika's domain. I must 
admit that this is one of my favourite 'haunts' as it were; if I 
ever need some reason for existing, I come here to stand amidst 
the dreams."
	For a moment he seemed caught by a memory from long ago, 
perhaps from another life in the Silver Millennium. To be 
separated from family and friends, to wander without a home for 
eternity, never changing from the form you possessed when you 
entered; how could he have survived, she wondered.
	"Don't you ever get lonely?" she asked him.
	The Wanderer paused, staring first up to the stars and then 
into her violet eyes. "From time to time, yes. Twelve hundred 
years is a long time to be in solitude." 
	It was a solemn answer, truthful and laced with what might 
have been regret. She couldn't be sure; if it was one thing she 
was already learning, it was that he hid his true emotions well. 
"How did you press on?" she asked.
	"I nurtured the hope that there was hope," he answered. 
"That there was a reason to press on. And in you and your friends 
I have seen it come to life." He removed his shades. "I believe in 
love, Rei-chan. That is what's kept me going this far, and that is 
what will finally take me to whatever I might call home."
	There was a time where silence reigned.
	Such a calm passion had never been in his voice before, yet 
it was this determination that kept him a survivor. "Back during 
the Silver Millennium," she asked. "did you have someone you 
loved? A girlfriend?"
	"To be honest, no," the Wanderer admitted. "And I think that 
not having any reason to return to my former world sealed my fate 
here. I've met a few other lost souls like ourselves every now and 
again, but usually nothing becomes of it...except for one." 
	That piqued her curiousity. "Who?"
	He looked up to the moonlight. "It was a long time ago," he 
said quietly. "Yui-chan...."
	Sadness seemed to wash over his face, perhaps of sorrow or 
regret for a love never found and never to be found unless he 
escaped. He was surprised at first when she wrapped her arm around 
his, leaning against his shoulder as the walked. But then he 
nodded, removing his shades and letting her see his crystal blue 
eyes.
	"Rei-chan," he said softly, and smiled.

	
	He was alone, though he could somehow feel the presence of 
the raven knight closeby. The folds of his ceremonial kimono 
rippled with the cool evening winds. "Rei-chan!" the young priest 
called out. "Please answer me!"
	He was standing in the midst of rows of trees as a continual 
rainfall of cherry blossom petals decorated his hair. Yet it was 
only him and the orchard and a few brief glimpses of beautiful 
dreams.
	"Dammit," he muttered, clenching his fists. "I could have 
sworn she was here."
	With a sixth sense he had been tracking her, trying to find 
her within a world of a thousand different kingdoms and realms to 
call its own. He was learning how to manifest himself in a desired 
domain; the only problem was that he did not have enough power to 
teleport from one kingdom to the next within a single dream. No 
one did but the two guardians. 
	It was early in the midnight hours, and now he was confined 
to this orchard realm unless he walked out and into the next one. 
The young man could only pray that perhaps this night one of the 
other girls might chance upon her.
	Four nights had passed since she was lost within the 
Dreamworld. Her grandfather had been thankfully delayed in 
returning. But in three days time there could be no hiding her 
condition.
	Why had this come upon her? Why did she have to be so 
stubborn sometimes? This entire ordeal had come without warning 
and now his heart was being torn at facing a life without her 
nearby. He had never even had a chance to tell her how much he 
cared for her, how much he loved her. 
	The young man reached out and caught a number of petals in 
his hand, closing his palm around them. "Rei-chan," he said 
quietly. "I swear I will find you. Even if I have to go into hell 
itself I will find you and bring you back to us."
	The shrine protege slowly turned and looked down one row of 
thin cherry blossom trees. The horizon was lost in their ranks. 
And with one more step, he began walking towards the end of this 
kingdom.


	In the distance the entire horizon was cast in an eerie red 
glow; rocks, trees and the mountain all seemed to be enveloped in 
a strange mist of crimson earth.
	The peak of the mountain opened up like a mouth, thick 
streams of dark and crimson smoke drifting out from the crater. 
The jagged face of the mountain seemed to add to the looming sense 
of forbidding danger.
	"It's beautiful," she whispered.
	"The lofty peak of the only volcano to grace the 
Dreamworld," Karasu stated. "The danger is only in appearance. 
That is the one place even Shadowdemons have shied away from 
attacking. Strange, in my opinion; I would think them finding such 
a forbidding place the perfect home."
	She looked to the Wanderer. "Does anyone dream there?" 
	He nodded. "As impossible as it seems, the volcano holds an 
abundance of dreamers. It is merely another strange face in a 
strange world."
	He pointed to the dark horizon. "In a few hours we'll be at 
the outer rim of Taki's forest. My best estimate is that we'll 
reach Sora's domain within the next four nights."
	They chose a place to settle down for the night close to the 
outer rim of the forest. She had grown accustomed to slightly 
rugged conditions for sleeping, insisting that Karasu didn't have 
to create a bedside illusion for her.
	The Wanderer was staring into the forest as they ate their 
final meal before retiring. "If we weren't so pressed for time," 
he said to her. "then I would love to take you into the heart of 
Taki's forest and show you the waterfall. It must be one of the 
most spectacular sights I have ever seen; the cataract itself 
empties into a twenty-storey gorge."
	Finishing off his dinner, he leaned back against a tree and 
relaxed his body. "Did you have a crush on someone back in the 
Silver Millennium?" 
	She paused; memories of such a distant life were still 
unclear to her and her friends. Perhaps she had in another life of 
serenity. But to be honest she did not know.
	"Pity," the Wanderer remarked when she told him just that. 
"I would think that you had to be dating someone in that century. 
You're just too cute to be ignored."
	She blushed at this; Karasu knew exactly how to charm her. 
But he was more than simply charming. He was unique: an immortal 
wanderer so long as he remained trapped in the Dreamworld, and 
still managing to keep a sense of humour about the entire 
situation. He cared for her and in getting her home. Karasu had 
done so much for her in her weakest moments. When she could no 
longer be strong, he had been there to help her back up.
	"Rei-chan!"
	She snapped her head around, uncertain if she had actually 
heard someone call her name. And yet the voice sounded familiar. 
She stood up, staring out at the volcanic peak in the far 
distance.
	The voice brought with it distant memories and images of a 
young man now helping her at the Shinto shrine. A good man with a 
kind heart--which the shrine protege usually wore on his sleeve. 
Someone who...who loved her. Did he love her?
	"Yuichiro," she whispered.
	"Rei-chan?" Karasu asked, walking to stand behind her. His 
own eyes were fixed on the dark silhouette of the distant volcano. 
If he had heard that voice, he was saying nothing. "Rei-chan, 
daijobu?"
	She blinked, the voice not returning to her again. Maybe she 
had dreamt of his face and voice. But was it all a dream? Her 
other life seemed so far away now, after all she had seen and 
walked through.
	His gentle touch brought her around until they stood cheek 
to cheek. He was taller than her, and she had to tilt her head to 
look up into his crystal blue eyes. The Wanderer's smile caused 
her to do the same.
	He leaned forward and gave a gentle kiss to her forehead. 
"Good night, Rei-chan. Sleep well, and dream of the man you love."
	With his silver cloak flapping behind him, Karasu settled 
own to rest his weary body. Moments later he was in a quiet, 
profound sleep. She found herself smiling, her body tingling with 
strange warmth, as she looked at him.
	So peaceful did the Wanderer look in his sleep, ever 
trusting and ever guiding. Helping guide her back home. She turned 
back to the distant volcano; what was home? A temple, perhaps.
	Was that her real home, or was it all simply a dream? Violet 
eyes glanced back at Karasu. She was falling on love with him, for 
all he had done and was doing for her. But what of those who were 
separated in her world, trying to call her back to them? 
	A city of friends: the odango-haired blonde and the dark-
haired prince...the tall brunette...the long-haired blonde...the 
blue-haired genius...the two guardian angels...the young man who 
was calling out to her.
	But who would she dream of tonight, then?
	Who would she dream of...?


	Atop the highest of the plateaus he remained, crouched low 
at the precipice and grimly staring out at the beauty of the realm 
surrounding him. On another night he would have found this 
breathtaking, but tonight the open domain of the plateaus gave him 
no comfort.
	"Rei-chan," he said quietly, sadly. "Where are you? Why 
can't I find you?"
	"Yuichiro-san?"	
	The young man turned and saw the blue-haired genius 
approach. The blue-haired genius had over her eyes a visor with 
flickering images he read to be backwards.
	"She's not here, Ami," he said. "Rei-chan's nowhere close to 
this place. And now we're stuck here for the night unless we find 
a way to grow wings."
	"Rei was here at one point in time," the blue-haired genius 
countered, the visor disappearing. "I've been able to locate 
traces of her aura as she and the Wanderer move. Tomorrow I'm 
certain I will be able to pinpoint the next kingdom she will be 
walking through. At the very least we know they're heading for 
Sora's domain."
	The young man stared out to the west. There in the distance 
an eerie volcanic peak, its land bathed in a crimson hue, stood 
tall and breathing thick dark smoke.
	"I should have never left her alone in the fire room," he 
said, shaking his head dejectedly. "I saw her go in and I saw that 
look in her eyes. I should have done something to stop this from 
happening."
	"Don't be so hard on yourself," the blue-haired genius 
answered. "Yuichiro, you're blaming yourself too much for this. 
Right now we need to focus on getting Rei-chan back."
	Far below hundreds of small lights twinkled across the dark 
lands.
	"Time is running out," the shrine protege said. "Her 
grandfather will be back in two days. I don't know if he could 
take the shock." 
	He slowly stood, eyes never leaving the horizon far below 
the plateaus. "Either we find her soon, or we won't ever find Rei 
at all."
	The blue-haired genius seemed to shiver. "Don't say things 
like that, Yuichiro-san. We'll find her."
	The wind pushed back his bangs, revealing his determined 
eyes. "If I can't find her in my world," he stated. "Then I'll 
become a ghost like her and find her in this one."
	And yet this prospect only seemed to frighten him. His body 
trembled with fury over his failure and hesitation to lose both 
worlds eternally like the Wanderer.
	"Ganbatte, Yuichiro-san," the blue-haired genius said, 
resting a hand on his shoulder. She looked out to the great 
beyond, clinging to her own hope in those words. "Ganbatte...." 
she whispered to herself.
	

	One night in the forest had already passed, and the Wanderer 
had stated that they would reach the coastal shores before this 
night was lost to their sleep. Karasu seemed in high spirits, 
leaping from forest floor to high branches to roots uplifted from 
the dirt and grasses.
	She, though, moved slower than usual, lost in the thoughts 
as only a lover torn in love could. The young man's face had 
haunted her dreams again, his scruffy brown hair and kind but 
clumsy nature causing her to smile. But then what of the Wanderer? 
She felt so close to Karasu now, almost joined at the soul.
	If the time came, which destiny would she choose? Return to 
Earth and Tokyo to be with the young man and her friends...or 
remain here with Karasu in wandering through the Dreamworld.
	It was this uncertaintly she felt that caused her to remain 
unaware of approaching danger. Not until Karasu's restraining hand 
grabbed her wrist to hold her back.
	"There's something else here," he said quietly, eyes darting 
around the forest. 
	She turned, trying to locate the source of the new 
presences. Her own psychic powers seemed to be magnified by this 
world, for she could see in her mind the creatures approaching 
them. They were but shadows with fierce glowing eyes, moving on 
paws of four. 
	"They are coming from the south," she said, pointing towards 
a section of the forest. "Over there."
	Karasu stepped forward, adamant about being the first to 
either defend or attack. His entire hand tensed up. A glowing 
light swallowed up his palm, sending out a magik that filled the 
entire area with sparkling blue light.
	Her eyes widened as something came out from the light. It 
was a sword, long and deadly. Over four and a half feet in length 
from tip to handle it stood, the grip adorned with a covering that 
wrapped around the hilt and tapered to a fine edge. In the centre 
was a large gemstone that shone like a storm. 	
	"Sugoi," she whispered. What an incredible weapon!
	"Arashi," he stated. "My illusions aren't the only magik I 
wield."
	But she was also a warrior, a soldier in her other life on 
Earth. And she still had the means of becoming that soldier. 
Despite the Wanderer's illusion, she located her transformation 
stick inside her robes.
	He glanced back with her shout, watching as she was engulfed 
in a bright light only to re-emerge in a sailor-style battle fuku. 
He slid his shades down his nose for a moment.
	"Impressive," he remarked.
	The Wanderer focused back on the forest as the creatures 
were now making sounds in their approach. Different breaths and 
different paces swarmed around them, and then the glowing eyes 
appeared from the shadows.
	She clenched her fists, ready to unleash her own magik of 
burning fire in a heartbeat. This time would not be like the 
hobgoblins. This time she would be ready.
	A pack of silver wolves converged on them.
	She held her breath, the aura of fire manifesting around her 
body.
	"Wait!" heuntered, holding out a restraining hand in front 
of her. He spun his sword around, jabbing the blade into the soft 
grass.
	The lead wolf, one with only a single glowing eye of bright 
yellow, stepped forward to meet with the Wanderer. Their eyes 
fixated on the other, each one having a solemn gaze. And to her 
surprise, the wolf pounced. Yet it was friendly if not playful, 
and Karasu laughed as his was pinned to the grass by the wolf's 
large body. They wrestled, rolling around the grasses until both 
were soaking wet from the dew. The wolf licked Karasu's face as he 
ran his fingers through his wet bangs.
	"Daijobu!" he called out to her. "They're Mystwolves. 
They're friendly--at least towards us."
	She lowered her defenses, glancing around the forest as more 
of these wolves appeared. A mother with a trio of small cubs 
emerged. The smallest pup gave a delighted "Yip!" and bounded over 
to her.
	Kneeling down she scooped up the young wolf in her arms, 
feeling the warmth of its fur nuzzle against her skin. She giggled 
as the pup's tongue tickled her cheek with wet kisses.
	"Kawaii!" she exclaimed. Curious how the aura of the 
Mystwolves seemed to be so threatening when they seemed so 
peaceful.
	As she turned to Karasu, she found the reason; he was 
kneeling next to a Mystwolf brought before him by its comrades. 
This wolf was in severe pain, limping with a hideous gash down its 
left leg.
	"Shimatta," he said quietly, removing his shades and 
appraising the wound. 
	The Mystwolf whimpered; its leg had been torn open to the 
bone, the mangled fur soaked in blood. He was surprised that the 
wolf had managed to limp this far and survive.
	He opened up his palm, a crystal orb appearing. He forced 
the crystal into the wolf's leg, the orb passing through as if the 
wolf was mere water. There was a quick yelp and an even faster 
recovery.
	"Will the illusions work?" she asked.
	"Healing illusions are specially crafted," he answered. 
"They will give you enough strength to recover, but the wound will 
still need to heal itself. When that happens the illusion simply 
fades away. It's only a temporary solution, and if shattered while 
the wound is still recovering the damage will be even worse."
	"Can you revive the dead?" 
	Sadly he shook his head. "No. I fear my illusions are not as 
powerful to combat death. And many a Mystwolf I could have saved 
had I but possessed such a magik."
	The Wanderer's crystal blue eyes looked to the alpha male of 
the pack. "How many others?" he asked.
	The wolf growled to him in its own language, one he seemed 
to understand. He turned to her, his expression somber. 
	"Bogeymen," he stated. He moved to another injured Mystwolf, 
and healed it with another illusion. "They attacked this pack by 
surprise about half a night's journey from here. Damned bastards 
they are, attacking mothers and cubs."
	She released the pup, the little Mystwolf running to its 
mother. "Are they worse than the hobgoblins?"
	He healed another wolf with an illusion. "Bogeymen are 
second in power and terror only to the Shadowdemons themselves. 
They travel in packs, are not confined to mere shadow kingdoms, 
and will only stop attacking you when the last one is killed."
	"Let me help fight them," she said, her voice trembling with 
fury. "We will have to cross by there anyways." Vengeance was 
seeping into her blood, a growing desire to exact cruel punishment 
on those creatures who had tried to rape her.
	He stood, having finished with the last of the Mystwolves. 
The pack returned to the shadows of the forest as he abruptly 
began walking. The sword was picked up in his grip and enveloped 
back into his palm with the same glowing light.
	"We're not far from the beach sands," he stated, 
deliberately avoiding her demand for revenge. "We can camp there 
for the night; hopefully the Bogeymen will have left the area by 
then."
	"Na ni?!" she exclaimed, chasing after him. "Let me help 
fight, Karasu! I want to get those bastards just as much as you 
do!"
	"This is not your fight," the Wanderer countered, glancing 
over his shoulder at her. "Nor is it mine. The Bogeymen and the 
Mystwolves have been nemeses since the dusk of the Dreamscape. 
Although I loathe the beasts myself, I don't go out looking for a 
battle."
	He might as well have slapped her in the face with that 
remark. And for all this time she thought him to be a valiant 
knight for the Dreamworld. So what did his attitude now mean?
	"Why not?" she exclaimed, fuming at him. She was barely even 
aware that they had come out of the forest, now reaching a small 
drop in the hills that led down to coastal sands and crashing 
waves. For the first time since she had met Karasu, she found 
herself despising him. How could someone who had been in all this 
wonder and magik for centuries be so indifferent?
	"Don't you feel anything for what evil is doing to such a 
beautiful paradise?" she shouted angrily.
	Karasu whirled, his silver cloak billowing out behind him. 
For the first time pure emotion shone in his face. Crystal blue 
eyes burned at her. "Yes, I feel for it!" he snapped. "That is why 
I fall upon any creature of darkness I find. That is why the 
Mystwolves come for healing if I am nearby. And that is why I 
rescued you."
	He turned away, staring out at the seas beyond the cliff's 
edge. "Over one thousand years have I been alone, Rei. But I know 
that the real battle in the Dreamworld can only be waged between 
the raven angels and the Shadowdemons. I do not belong in their 
realm. Against the full furies of either a raven angel or a 
Shadowdemon, my illusions will only prolong the inevitable for a 
few minutes. That is why I involve myself with those who don't 
hold such high power."
	He turned to her, replacing the shades over his eyes. "I am 
rather fond of life--namely my own. And rushing into the heart of 
the Empress' realm is thus not exactly high on my list of 
crusades. I still have to live with the mistake of becoming a lost 
soul, Rei; I don't want to live or die thanks to any other ones 
that I might make."
	She felt cut by a savage knife, stung by her own attack 
against him. Now she finally understood what it was like to be a 
wanderer in the Dreamworld. Karasu was still grimly staring out at 
the ocean waves, his chest heaving with every breath.
	Her expression softened, and when he saw the understanding 
in her eyes, he smiled. "You still fight, though," she said 
gently, wrapping her arms around his waist as she leaned against 
his back.
	He nodded. "I will fight when the war comes my way--and many 
times it does more than once a night--but in truth I am only a 
wanderer. My powers cannot destroy the Shadowdemons, but at least 
what I do here will keep someone's beautiful dreams safe for one 
more night."
	She stared out to this new Dreamworld kingdom with him.
The waves of a vast ocean stretching out beyond the horizon were 
crashing against the large rocks scattered across the sandy beach. 
At the far end of the shores, the fierce rolling hooves of a herd 
of Silvermanes threw up sand as they galloped away.
	He opened up his palm, the crystal within his grip bursting 
into a small fire. "I'll give us some lighting."
	She put her hand on his shoulder. "Please, let me. After 
all, it's my speciality."
	With a smile he nodded and closed his palm around the 
crystal, smothering the flames. "Hai."
	"Burning Mandala!" she shouted. A fury of ringed fireballs 
spread out across the beach, becoming pyres on sands and rocks. 
The stretching coast came to life in a brilliant dance of fiery 
hues.
	The beach was brighter now, the sands glistening white in 
the moonlight and glowing red in the firelight. They could see the 
deep blue ocean waves and frothing whitecaps striking the rocks 
and the sandy shores.
	Suddenly she was hoisted off her feet, held firmly in 
Karasu's arms. He leaped off the top of the slope, his silver 
cloak spreading out like a pair of wings as they floated down to 
the sands.
	"The closest I can ever be to possessing raven wings," he 
said with a sigh. Crystal blue eyes behind tinted shades scanned 
the beach. "Welcome, Rei-chan, to the Ocean of the Silver Orchids. 
If ever a comparison could be made, it would be with that of the 
ancient Sea of Serenity...in a place I once knew very well."
	For a moment he was lost within a bittersweet memory, but he 
quickly returned to be next to her.
	"It's beautiful," she said quietly, leaning against him.
	The firelights at first revealed them to be alone in quiet 
solitude on the beach until another dual shadows appeared from 
behind one of the rocks.
	Her eyes widened as she recognized the familiar faces of the 
two companions walking towards them. They were both tall, one 
appearing more elegant and refined, the other more boyish and 
athletic. The taller one's sandy blonde hair rustled slightly in 
the wind, but the other's wavy aqua-green hair billowed out if 
becoming the ripples of an ocean.
	"Ara ara," the Wanderer remarked. "It would appear we have 
some company with us tonight." He waved out to the two souls 
approaching them. "Haruka!" he called out. "Michiru!"
	She turned to him, surprised. "You know them?"
	He nodded. "Our wanderings have met from time to time."
	Once she thought a little more, she realized how much she 
was embarrassed by her own surprise. The tall brunette had told 
them of the fact that the raven angel knew these two young women 
for a while. Why not him, then?
	"Komban wa, Karasu," the sandy-haired blonde said to the 
Wanderer. "Managed to get lost in this place again?"
	He took her playful jab in stride, shrugging and grinning 
from behind his shades. "Oh you know me, Haruka. I'm like a 
compass without a needle when it comes to direction."
	The one with the aqua-green hair glanced over at her. "And 
who is your newest companion?" Equally aqua-green eyes focused on 
her, and then registered surprise. "Rei-chan! What are you doing 
here with him?"
	"I'm showing her around the Dreamworld," he explained. She 
felt relieved that he didn't tell the two young women the fact 
that she had brazenly gotten herself trapped inside this realm. 
	"That still doesn't explain the company she's keeping," the 
tall, sandy blonde remarked with a wicked grin.
	"I've been trying to find one for Michiru all these years," 
Karasu retorted. He glanced over at the aqua-green haired woman. 
"Why do you keep such company anyways, Michiru-chan?"
	"Someone has to pay the bills," the aqua-haired woman 
replied swiftly.
	"Hey!" the tall, sandy blonde protested.
	They all shared a laugh, though she felt uneasy around the 
others; she didn't know the two young women all that well. But 
Karasu seemed to be very good friends with them both.
	"What brings you to the northern shores of the Ocean of the 
Silver Orchids?" he inquired.
	"Michiru was complaining that we hadn't been to the beach in 
a while," the tall sandy-blonde replied. "So I decided this was 
the best place to go; no sweltering heat, no trash, and best of 
all no one else."
	"Or so you thought, love," the aqua-haired woman remarked. 
"It would appear you've managed to interrupt the two."
	And then as if ghosts themselves they faded. She was 
surprised though the Wanderer made no reaction. He had probably 
witnessed this before.
	"Yare yare," he sighed. "They're the only ones I know who 
can pull off a stunt like that. Only the raven angels can do that 
sort of teleporation...Showoffs."
	Together and alone now, they stared out at the crashing 
surf. "I've heard tale of this ocean realm," he said to her. "One 
that is from our old lives on the moon. A silver orchid is a 
legendary flower with silver petals tipped crystal blue; it could 
only be grown in the Imperial Palace on the moon. 
	"One of the planetary queens, from a time before Queen 
Serenity, fell in love with a guardian. They were doomed to never 
be together unless she dreamed. But they never stopped loving each 
other, even when she found a king and raised a family. She died in 
her sleep, and in her final dream she visited the guardian angel 
one last time. 
	"She brought with her a single blossoming silver orchid. 
When her tear struck the orchid, the angel used his magik to 
preserve the beauty of their love forever. It became this ocean. 
And nothing, not even the Shadowdemons, can try to conquer its 
magik. This is far too powerful a magik."
	He turned to her, removing his shades. "Let me show you such 
a magik, Rei-chan."
	He opened up his palm, a twinkling sphere of light slowly 
rising up from his hand into the night skies. And suddenly another 
glowing light appeared from behind one of the large rocks on the 
sands. And another. And another. Soon the beach was alive with 
these lights, as if a multitude of stars had come down.
	Minute bodies and tiny wings seemed to beat with the lights, 
a hundred souls that she could fit in a closed palm lifting up to 
the heavens.
	"Faery starlight," she whispered. Her violet eyes turned to 
the Wanderer, who was slowly twirling about in the middle of the 
faery starlights. He was lost from all the hesitation and regret, 
the burden of lives once lived and now untouchable, of a destiny 
he could never share with another.
	"Kara-chan..." she whispered softly. She wanted to tell him 
how much she wanted to thank him. How much she cared for him. How 
much she loved him.
	And then a distant call echoed past her ears: "Rei-chan!" 
The call belonged to the voice of a young man she knew in another 
life at a Shinto shrine. She found herself torn once more; just 
when she thought every last emotion had been sorted out, she was 
forced back onto her knees in doubt.
	Who did she love?
	But was the young man even alive now? The Wanderer had 
spoken of amok time within the Dreamworld, how nothing was aligned 
to her world. Two hours or two hundred years could have already 
passed her by. And what then?
	The faery starlight faded, the twinkling lights lost amidst 
the stars. As she watched the moonlit night, she made a choice. If 
this was her only chance at love, then she didn't want to waste 
it.
	Not when she had been brought here because of her search for 
such love. Perhaps it was fate that she found herself with him, 
walking the same worlds he walked. It would be alright for 
tonight, for this one night.
	With a sigh he returned to her, drawing her back up the 
grassy slope and onto the forest clearing. A perfect place to 
sleep and a magnificent view caught her breath and imagination. He 
leaned up against a curved rock, arms propped up on his knees. She 
sat a few feet away, content to watch his excited face.
	"Tonight calls for a celebration," the Wanderer remarked, a 
bottle of wine and two glasses appearing in his hands. "I would 
otherwise give a call to get drunk immediately, but then again I 
have a beautiful young maiden with me."
	She declined when he offered her a small amount of red wine. 
She wanted to be with him tonight, be one with him this night. But 
it still embarrassed her to approach him like this; would he see 
her as too aggressive?
	"You have a question you wish to ask me," he said abruptly. 
He glanced over with a grin, the bottle of wine vanishing. "I can 
read it in your face."
	She blushed; had she been that obvious? And she still 
couldn't find a voice for her words.
	"Go ahead," the Wanderer said, raising the glass to his 
lips. "Ask me anything. I've heard it all before."
	Her violet eyes lifted to the immortal young man who had for 
so long taken her under his wing. Ever since the raven angel had 
come to be with the tall brunette, she had wanted to experience 
love. And now she could feel it for Karasu.
	"Will...will you please make love to me, Kara-chan?" she 
asked of him.
	With a loud spluttering, Karasu coughed on the wine he had 
just tried to inadvertently breathe. "Okay, that was a new one," 
he remarked.
	She found it all the more difficult to even begin explaining 
as she looked into his crystal blue eyes. After all he had done 
for her, caring for her and watching over her.
	She moved up next to him. "You said yourself," she 
whispered, resting her head against his chest, listening to his 
heartbeat. "We could have already been here for two hundred years. 
I've been looking for this all my life, and I don't want to miss 
it. Please, Karasu, make love to me."
	She sat up, slowly pulling away the folds of her gown, 
letting it drop down from her shoulders to gather at her waist. 
Soft, rounded breasts were presented before him.
	Careful, if not hesitant, he reached out his hand and 
touched a coral-pink nipple. She moaned softly, her own hands 
digging through the buttons of his shirt and opening them up to 
display his firm chest.
	She purred as he stroked her long, dark hair. And then she 
lifted her head and pressed her lips against his. He made no 
protests, and didn't seem all that surprised. He returned her 
kiss, their lips meeting with a fierce passion.
	This was the love she had been searching for so long. But 
would she ever see those she too cared for again? The odango-
haired blonde, the blue-haired genius, the long-haired blonde, the 
tall brunette, the dark-haired prince; would she ever be in their 
company again?
	Was Karasu the only soul left for her now?
	It startled her to feel a drop of cool water running down 
her cheek. She was crying, and he saw it.
	He gently pulled away, staring at her with solemn yet gentle 
eyes. "Gomen, Rei-chan. You are a beautiful woman, and I find you 
very attractive...very attractive. But this doesn't feel right; 
your heart is trying to cope with the loneliness you are facing. 
And it would be wrong of me to take advantage of that."
	She closed her eyes, squeezing out more tears. Karasu 
grasped the edges of her robes and pulled them back over her 
shoulders.
	"Kara-chan!" she cried out, collapsing into his arms. He 
held her there, letting her tears of frustration and loneliness 
flow. Had she been deceiving herself that she loved him? Or did 
she truly love him?
	If only she knew.
	"Kara-chan," she cried.
	"Shhhh," he said quietly. "Daijobu, Rei-chan. Cry all you 
want. I understand. I understand...."


	Three young men stood together in the heart of a deep and 
lush forest of emerald trees and leaves. In the distance they 
could hear the faint roar of a towering waterfall crashing into a 
gorge far below. Around their feet were pawprints of a pack of 
silver wolves in the moist ground.
	"They're close," the raven knight said, slowly opening his 
eyes. "For now she and the Wanderer sleep, but the next time we 
walk amidst our dreams we shall find them both for certain."
	"There is a danger," the raven angel said quietly. "They are 
bordering on a newfound shadow kingdom. Its minions will be on the 
prowl in my domain."
	Both eyes turned to the shrine protege; they had taken him 
aside from the others. Once they had been like him, and knew what 
he was feeling, what he was capable of committing.
	"I can handle it," the young man stated. "Sora, Kishi; let 
me find her. Let me take the responsibility for whatever happens. 
I ask you, please. I can handle it."
	"Can you?" Kishi asked solemnly, sapphire eyes once more 
sealed. The raven knight's body faded like the evening mist, 
disappearing and once again leaving the young man alone.
	The shrine protege turned to Sora; the raven angel was 
retreating slowly, fading too like the evening mist. "Though he is 
not the kind to say it aloud," the raven angel's whispers came 
with the winds. "Kishi believes in you, Yuichiro...as do I. Go to 
her, and be careful."
	The young man bowed with deep respect. "Arigato," he said. 
This was his last chance to prove himself to her, the reason he 
had for pressing on in life: the girl he loved.
	"Rei-chan," he whispered softly. "Please hear me...."


	When she awoke, she was alone. At first panic struck as she 
searched the glen for Karasu but found only the clearing of the 
forests and the drop leading down to the coastal sands. The only 
sounds were of the crashing waves against rock and sand.
	Carefully she stood and looked around, reaching out with her 
senses. His aura was closeby, in sight but not in the sight of her 
eyes. She walked over to the top of the slope and looked down onto 
the sandy beaches.
	He was dressed in only his pants; bare feet and bare chest. 
Even the shades were gone. He was training, moving with slow and 
graceful elegance.
	Balance on one foot, kick over his head, maintain balance, 
deliver a swift jab with one hand, a vicious uppercut with the 
other. Even more complicated motions followed, the sweat 
glistening off his body in the moonlight.
	With the roar of the crashing waves she thought she could 
approach him unnoticed. But the Wanderer simply smiled as he 
perched on one foot, his other leg raised high over his head.
	"Komban wa, Rei-chan."
	She smiled softly at him. "Komban wa, Kara-chan."
	Her eyes drifted down to his chest; this was the first time 
she had seen him out of his entire suit. He was fit and very 
defined with his muscles, no doubt from over a thousand years of 
training. 
	But then she saw his back, and the marking. It was large, 
intricate and exotic. The foreign character was deep black, the 
numerous strokes reaching out to his sides and even stretching 
around his neck and shoulders.
	"What is that marking on your back?" she asked.
	He glanced over his shoulders at her. "This? Nothing much, 
really. A rune of the Dreamworld, though anyone I've ever 
encountered can't read it. It appeared when I first got lost 
here."	
	"It's beautiful," she whispered, running her fingers down 
his back. He shivered at her touch and she remembered last night. 
But he never pressed the matter, and so neither would she. It was 
better this way.
	"Yours isn't bad either," he added.
	She paused, confused. "I have one too?"
	"Look at your chest."
	She opened the front collar of her garments. A smaller rune, 
but noticeable none the less was nestled between her breasts.
	"Mine used to be small," Karasu said, resuming his training 
stances. "But the longer I've been here, the larger it has become. 
It stopped growing around four hundred years ago; I think it's 
reached its maximum size limit."
	He opened his hand, and a small light enveloped his palm. 
The sword emerged from the light, beautiful and deadly all at once 
in both form and elegance.
	"It's beautiful," she said quietly.
	"Arashi," he stated. "It's name is Arashi: the Stormsword. 
It comes from the root of my original magik, before I delved into 
illusions. I hold the power of a thunderstorm in my blood, and 
thus the Arashi holds the power within its blade."
	Almost like the tall brunette did with her attacks. She 
found herself wondering if Karasu might be related to any of them, 
a cousin or an older brother. And yet she found herself unable to 
ask when she opened her mouth.
	To wreck the charisma and mystery about him seemed wrong.
	"I will be done in a short time," he said to her. "If we 
hurry with breakfast we can reach Sora's domain before we need to 
rest again. Are you ready?"
	She nodded, her body warming up with her smile.


	The pale light of a crescent moon shone overhead, casting a 
strange crimson glow on the torii standing at the base of the 
mountain range. And four young women stood beneath the structure, 
waiting on the cobblestone path.
	"Why are we just waiting her to do nothing?" the odango-
haired blonde said impatiently. "We should be out looking for Rei-
chan!"
	"Calm down, Usagi-chan," the long-haired blonde said. "If 
Kishi and Sora told us to keep back, then I'm sure there must be a 
good reason for it."
	"I've been through the forest with Sora-chan many times," 
the tall brunette stated. "He's never acted this protective over 
me or any of us walking through it before. Something is definitely 
bothering him and Kishi."
	The cool breeze of the midnight hour swept past them, and 
none of the girls could tell whether or not their shivers were 
from the wind or from their fears.
	"Anything yet?" came a new voice. It was the dark-haired 
prince, appearing in step through the torii. "Gomen, Usa-ko; I 
would have been here sooner had something not come up."
	"Mamo-chan," the odango-haired blonde said, smiling at the 
prince. "Nothing yet; Kishi and Sora have told us to stay away 
from the forest."
	"I think I've found something," the blue-haired genius piped 
up, working at her compact computer, the visor still around her 
eyes. Fingers worked rapidly on the computer's keyboard. "I'm not 
sure but it might be Yuichiro."
	"So what's he doing there?" the long-haired blonde remarked. 
"Why can he go and not us?"
	"Wait," the blue-haired genius countered. "There's something 
else close to Yuichiro-san. It's hard to detect, almost like a 
ghost. Multiple signals...they're closing in on him."
	Everyone there waited for the computer to finish its 
processing. And then an answer was given on the screen to its 
user.  The blue-haired genius' eyes widened, and a blank stare was 
lifted to the forest at the end of the fields. 
	"What is it, Ami-chan?" the tall brunette asked.
	"Is it Rei?" the dark-haired prince pressed. "The Wanderer?"
	The blue-haired genius was quite still, the fear growing in 
two ocean blue eyes. "Shadowcreatures," she whispered.
	Bogeymen....


	There was an uneasiness in the shadows of the forest, though 
this domain held within itself an aura that glowed from every tree 
and plant in the green foliage. She glanced around, questioning 
herself. Her sixth sense was practically screaming out a warning 
in her mind, but there was nothing else to justify it.
	"Do you feel a dark aura?" she asked.
	The Wanderer paused atop a large root that had risen out 
from the ground. He was visibly disturbed as she; but in his 
expression she knew he could not locate the source.
	Karasu shook his head. "Something doesn't feel right about 
this place. It's different from when I last came here." He 
shrugged, shaking it aside. "I don't know; it's been almost five 
decades since I was this way. Maybe Sora's magik changed when he 
left."
	She closed her own eyes, focusing her psychic powers. Ever 
since the Mystwolves every last sense she possessed was opening up 
and making her aware of so much more than she thought existed. 
"It's not this place," she countered, opening her eyes. "I can 
feel a dark aura but it hasn't originated from this place. I'm 
barely even finding this presence."
	Abruptly Karasu came to a stop, staring out at the dense 
foliage before them. There was a path, worn and ready to be used 
once more.
	"What is it?" she asked.
	He turned to her solemnly. "This is the last stretch, Rei-
chan. Not twenty paces away lies the open fields and a cobblestone 
path leading to Sora's gateway."
	"Aren't you coming?" she asked, confused by his hesitation.
	He shook his head. "Not this time, Rei-chan. You must make 
the final journey alone, to decide where you want to be. And that 
decision is not mine to make."
	He was holding back more than just his emotions. He was 
holding himself back.
	"You...you're not going back to Earth," she said finally, 
unbelieving of the words she spoke. "You're going to stay here."
	The Wanderer nodded. "I don't belong in your world any 
longer, Rei. As much as I don't belong here in the Dreamworld." He 
gave a wry grin. "I don't think I belong anywhere except somewhere 
in between."
	"Baka!" she shouted angrily. "You can fit into my world! 
It'll just take time! Sora and Kishi could do it, so why are you 
walking away?" 
	"Because it is for the better," he answered.
	"We could be together even still!" she protested, hot tears 
threatening to stream down her face. "You can meet my friends and 
have a normal life! I'm a Sailor Senshi and I've been able to 
manage!"
	But he just shook his head.
	"You coward!" she exclaimed.
	Yet the Wanderer remained unfazed. "Search your heart, Rei. 
There must be a reason for you to leave. And if I am with you, the 
decision cannot be made. Our destinies were made to cross this one 
time, but now we must say good-bye."
	From behind his shades his crystal blue eyes darted to the 
trees behind her. As if he could see and sense something she could 
not. "Besides," he added. "There's someone else waiting for you on 
the other side."
	"Rei-chan!" a voice called out.
	She whirled, eyes widened at the sound.
	"Rei!" came the desperate words of a young man. "Please 
answer me!"
	"Yuichiro," she whispered. She turned to Karasu, searching 
his eyes. This was the final decision she had to make; she was 
still uncertain which destiny was hers to take. Which world was 
really hers, and which one was a dream? Whom did she love?
	"Go to him," the Wanderer's whisper echoed in her ear. "You 
have a reason to keep pressing on, Rei-san. That is why you hold a 
chance to escape."
	He was giving her his blessing to leave. And then she 
realized how much the Wanderer truly understood her. He knew her 
well enough to leave her alone despite his feelings. 
	She turned and embraced him for the last time. "I'll never 
forget you," she said, a tear rolling down her cheek.
	He smiled, removing his shades. "Hey, I'll be around. Just 
close your eyes and dream, and maybe you'll run into me."
	With his final act before she left him, Karasu took her hand 
in his and raised it to his lips to gently kiss it. She still 
found herself blushing, though not out of embarrassment; 
excitement had seized her entire heart and soul.
	She wanted to break into a run, but restrained until he 
released her hand. She turned and started to chase after the young 
man calling out to her.
	"Wait!" Karasu said abruptly, stepping after her. 
	She paused and turned.
	"Give Yuichiro this," he said, tossing her a crystal orb. 
"He has the heart to cross the Dreamworld and its dangers in 
search of you," the Wanderer said quietly, turning away. "Now give 
him the power to survive whatever crosses his path."
	Her eyes darted down to the crystal and then up to him. But 
the Wanderer had already vanished; all that remained was an empty 
clearing and the disappearing waves of a grey mist. There was 
nothing holding her back any longer. She was going to be with her 
friends again, the ones she cared deeply for, the young man she 
finally knew she loved.
	"Yuichiro!" she called out. "Yuichiro!"
	She was going home.


	At first the young man had thought his senses were snapping 
under the strain. Maybe all the pressure and anxiety was finally 
striking his mind down. For days he had been fighting fatigue in 
both realms.
	But to hear her voice--her voice calling out to him. It 
seemed as if he was imagining it. Every night he had come so close 
to finding her, only to discover that she had been there once 
before and moved on.
	"Yuichiro!"
	He whirled, that voice calling out his name again. "It can't 
be," he said quietly, trying to calm the beating of his heart. If 
this proved to be a mere illusion he doubted his strength would 
last any longer.
	But it wasn't.
	The shrine protege's eyes widened beneath his bangs of 
scruffy brown hair as he saw her running towards him. She was 
dressed in different robes, her hair tied in behind her back, but 
it was still her.
	He saw those violet eyes beckoning to him.
	And the young man knew this was no dream.
	"Rei-chan!" he exclaimed, racing up to close in the distance 
between them. He swept her feet off the ground when they met, arms 
around each other in a joyous embrace.
	"I thought I had lost you," he said, tears with no definable 
emotion running down his cheeks. "I've been following you like a 
shadow for as long as you've been wandering this realm."
	Abruptly a thought occurred to the shrine protege, and he 
looked around the forest. "Where is the Wanderer?"
	"He stayed back," she said, smiling at the brief image of 
Karasu in her mind. "How long have I been lost?"
	"Almost a week," the young man answered. "You're lucky; your 
grandfather will be coming back in one day. I don't think he could 
have taken the strain we've been through."
	She was surprised that her time in the Dreamworld passed 
faster than the time on Earth. But Karasu had said before to her 
that time differed on the dreamer. She was one of the lucky ones.
	"I've been calling out your name for as long as I can 
remember," he said, holding her tighter now.
	"I know," she replied softly. "I heard you calling me."
	She could have stayed forever in his embrace, feeling the 
warmth of his skin against hers, the power of his love encircling 
them both. Tokyo wasn't a mere dream; it was her world. And 
finally she could be going home with him, the man she loved.
	"Yuichiro," she said quietly.
	"Rei-chan," he answered. "I love you."
	They looked into each other's eyes, and their lips moved 
closer to touch in a passionate kiss. But it was not to be in that 
moment.
	The beasts of the darkness came. She sucked in her breath as 
their stalking figures approached, a chorus of delighted evil 
laughter rising up from around them. 
	The forms of these things were more grotesque than the 
hobgoblins, tall and gaunt and a stance like a scarecrow: 
elongated legs and arms with large joints ready to burst through 
tight, pale skin that seemed barely capable to hold the creature 
together. Buldging yellow eyes and a sloped jawline displaying 
rows of jagged, icicle-like teeth only added to the terrifying 
effect.
	"Na ni?" the shrine protege muttered, pushing her behind 
him.
	Her own eyes were wide in stunned disbelief. These things 
were indeed spawns of the Shadowdemons, but they were nothing like 
the hobgoblins. These were much worse.
	"No," she whispered. Please anything but these beasts. 
	"Rei," the young man said, stepping back as the creatures 
began to close in around them. "Do you what they are?"
	She nodded, reaching into her robes for her transformation 
stick. "Karasu called them Bogeymen."
	In form the Bogeymen were like a walking nightmare come to 
hideous life. But their laugh...it was like listening to a group 
of hyenas with sadistic cackles and choruses of laughter and 
chuckles. Each breath they took was raspy, hoarse and shallow. 
Their chests were pushed out and then sucked in with every last 
breath, their ribcage twice the length of a human's.
	The young man's eyes narrowed; alone and without any magik 
to call his own in the Dreamworld, he didn't stand a chance. But 
if he held these things back, at least she might.
	"Playtoys," a Bogeyman wheezed in cruel laughter.
	"And a pretty one too," another rasped.
	Their chorus of laughter echoed across the forest again.
	"Shimatta," she muttered, glancing down at her stick; he 
still didn't know that she was by magik a Senshi, a soldier with 
incredible powers. But if she didn't transform, they were both 
dead.
	"Get away from her, you bastards!" 
	She jerked her head up only to see the young man growling, 
taking a step forward to meet against the closest Bogeyman.
	"You so much as touch her and I swear I'll kill you!" he 
shouted angrily. Such hostility in his eyes, fierce and righteous 
with the intent to protect her. The young woman he had fallen in 
love with at first sight, whom he had been shyly watching as he 
tended to the shrine.
	"Yuichiro!" she exclaimed. "You'll get yourself killed going 
up against them!"
	He turned back, a peaceful smile on his face of already 
accepting fate. "I've loved you since the first night I met you," 
he said to her. "Right here and now is my chance to prove myself. 
If I have to die in doing so, then at least it will be for you."
	"Baka," she whispered, fighting back bitter tears. The hell 
she would let this happen! She looked down at her transformation 
stick.  "Mars Star Power!" she shouted. "Make Up!"
	The shrine protege was motionless, stunned as a white light 
swallowed her up and the aura of fire magik exploded around her 
body. She was now in her sailor battle fuku; there could be no 
more hiding of the truth, of who she really was.
	"You dare attack a realm of beauty," she growled. "and then 
the man I love. I don't care what you are! I'll never forgive you 
for what you've done!"
	One Bogeyman snarled, stalking towards her, thick saliva 
glistening from its jaws. "Pretty little face," it snarled with a 
decadent grin. It turned to the others. "She's mine."
	Its eyes locked onto hers, a blackest of desires creeping 
into its gaze. She had seen that before with the hobgoblins. But 
it would not happen like that again.
	Not ever again!
	"Mars Flame Sniper!" she shouted, launching her fiery attack 
at the master Bogeyman.  
	The creature was agile given its awkward form, dodging her 
attack and suddenly lunging at her. She cried out in a strangled 
gasp as she found her throat seized by its long, pronged fingers, 
hoisting her up off the ground to dangle in front of the beast.
	It chuckled as she gasped for air. "Maybe I'll ravish you 
while I choke the life out of your pretty little throat."
	And then something fell, its spherical form catching a 
glimpse of moonlight and flashing in the eyes of all around it. 
Her eyes widened; Karasu's crystal illusion. But how could it have 
simply fallen out of her battle fuku when she had transformed?
	"Illusion?" the Bogeyman said aloud, confused.
	The form of the beast abruptly shuddered and she was 
released, thrown to the ground. Her eyes were lifted to the 
creature of evil and found the young man still ramming against it, 
pushing it into a tree.
	With a grunt the Bogeymen stumbled, only to recover and swat 
the young man aside. He screamed as his chest was torn open from 
the clawed fingers, his body tumbling across the grasses.
	"Yuichiro!" she screamed.
	He moaned, slowly rolling onto his back. Streaks of crimson 
blood tainted the white shreds of his kimono. "It's not over yet," 
he said between shallow gasps.
	Already the Bogeymen were closing in around him like a pack 
of predators. Unless she intervened he was dead in a matter of 
heartbeats.
	Her vision found the Wanderer's crystal, just a few steps 
away from her. And then with a loud howl the master Bogeyman rose 
from the forest, its gaze fixating on her violet eyes. It snarled 
and leaped towards her.
	Panic struck, and she had but one last chance to save them 
both. She groped for the crystal, desperately trying to at least 
touch it with her fingers. But the howl of the Bogeyman caused her 
to turn back--and she braced herself as the creature lunged for 
her, claws and fangs displayed for a hideous torture of body and 
soul.
	Suddenly the air pulsated and moved, taking invisible but 
solid form. The Bogeyman reeled as it was struck, its body thrown 
aside as if it were a ragdoll. The creatures of darkness moved 
away from the young man, who was weakly pulling himself along the 
forest floor.
	"Who dares defy me?" the master Bogeyman hissed, wiping its 
bloodied cheek.
	Walking out from nothing, as if he were passing through a 
wall of visibility, the Wanderer appeared. The Arashi was in his 
hand, the blade glowing and ringing in the winds. Dark emotions 
were in his eyes as he slowly removed his shades.
	"So," he said, malice dripping from his every word. "You 
bastards attacked the Mystwolves."
	"Karasu!" she called out to him.
	He never even glanced in her direction his focus contained 
within a steel glare at the Bogeymen.
	"Wanderer," the master Bogeyman snarled. "You have come 
after all. Then it was your illusion the girl held."
	The creatures of darkness began to leave her and the young 
man alone, advancing towards the Wanderer.
	"My fight," he countered, leveling his sword to the Bogeyman 
master's throat. "is with you alone. The others will find 
vengeance stalking them in another form."
	The creature smiled, rows of jagged fangs moving forward and 
dripping with saliva. "Leave us!" it snarled, waving away its 
comrades in terror. "I will take care of this one myself. I will 
have the honour of feasting on your carcass."
	Karasu only smiled savagely, the Arashi still in his one 
hand. "Ara, you really believe that?"
	She could only watch the battle. In her arms the young man 
groaned, grimacing as pain spasmed through his body. "Yuichiro," 
she whispered softly. "You didn't have to do this for me. Not for 
me."
	"It would seem selfish if I did it for myself," the shrine 
protege replied with a weak smile. The smile faded as the young 
man tilted his head. "Rei-chan, they're coming."
	She whirled; the other Bogeyman were closing in around them. 
Gently laying the young man on the grass, she stood between him 
and the beasts. Fire crackled around her aura.
	She was vaguely aware of a crystal orb rolling across the 
forest floor of its own accord, destination and destiny to cross 
the injured shrine progete.
	The first Bogeyman smashed a fist into her chest, lifting 
her into the air and throwing her against tree. The breath from 
her lungs was stolen, her body crying out in pain. She hit the 
ground, coughing and gasping.
	"Rei-chan!" the shrine protege screamed.
	She barely even moved, though she slowly raised her head to 
see the creature's vicious claws being raked down upon her. And 
then came the light. Brilliant white light that tore the 
creature's arm from the rest of its body. The wound spewed out 
thick, murky blood that splattered across her face.
	Standing there, his entire chest moving with each passionate 
breath, was the shrine protege. And yet not so much a stranger 
from another world. Now he was dressed as a warrior with flowing 
cloak and armour, a pauldron on his left shoulder and his clenched 
fists crackling with magik.		
	"Rei-chan," he said with new energy. A second strike 
finished off the wounded Bogeyman.
	The power of Karasu's illusion was before her now, and she 
looked upon the young man with awe and wonder. He had changed, 
become a knight like the others.
	"Yuichiro," she whispered.
	Another Bogeyman lunged for him, but this was struck with a 
new source of magik, ripped apart by a tempest forged out of the 
air. A second Bogeyman suddenly found itself swallowed up by a 
fury of crackling blue flames. Out from the darkness the raven 
knight and the raven angel emerged, their own deadly magik flowing 
around them in a spectacular aura.
	"Kishi!" she exclaimed. "Sora!"
	"Komban wa, Rei-chan," Sora said. 
	She spun as another Bogeyman lunged for her; the Flame 
Sniper sent its head across the forest and its body to hell. 
Between the four warriors the last of the Shadowspawn were 
destroyed.
	"Damn, that felt good," Kishi said, cracking his knuckles.
	"What of the Wanderer?" Sora asked.
	They all whirled as the forest was filled with a deadly 
magik, as if streaked lightening had descended upon them all. The 
power was coming from Karasu, crackling arcs of blue light 
pulsating and raging around his body. The master Bogeyman was in 
an enraged charge, ready to tear through him. Karasu, crystal eyes 
locked and narrow, held his ground. 
	"Shin'ne!" the beast howled.
	The Wanderer raised his sword, and with a loud battle cry 
brought it down as the demon spawn lunged. He leaped from the 
forest floor, exploding into the air as arcs and tempests of 
lightening magik churned all around him. The slender blade shone 
with all the blinding lights, and suddenly out from the metal 
exrupted a swarming array of pure unbridled magik.
	The entire blade of the Arashi roared with blue light, 
unleashing a shockwave of storm magik that radiated out from the 
Wanderer. Its eruption was like a tsunami of lightening, and it 
fell upon the creature of darkness in a heartbeat. The Bogeyman's 
howl became a shriek it was swallowed up by the light.
	"NA NI?!"
	Suddenly Karasu punched through the storm's vortex, streaks 
of lightening pulsating all around him yet with no effect upon his 
body. Magik is always symbiotic if its wielder knew how to use it 
wisely enough. Yet when turned against another, magik is 
indifferent in its attack. It becomes all the more savage. 
	The Bogeyman pierced the dying rays of light, falling 
forwards with a horrified look upon its face. The pale skin was 
smoking yet unburned. By all appearances it had emerged unscathed 
by the Arashi's power. Yet appearances deceive. Before it would 
have crashed onto the ground it split apart, bisected lengthwise 
down the middle. Cut in half, the Bogeyman let out one final howl 
of agony before its corpse collapsed upon the green earth, 
spilling forth blackened entrails that gave off a foul stench.
	It laid there in a puddle of its own flesh and blood before
it was consumed by a white fire, incinerated by the final act of 
the Arashi's storm magik. Karasu's body relaxed, the sword 
retracting into the glowing light from his palm. He turned to the 
others, a dark but satisfied smile across his face. A quick flick 
of the wrist found his shades back over his eyes.
	She turned to Kishi and Sora, wanting to thank them. But the 
guardian angels were already gone, a few raven wing feathers 
drifting down to the grassy earth. They would be waiting with the 
others for her to return home.
	Her friends.
	Her family.
	Her world.
	She glanced back at the Wanderer. "Kara-chan, I..."
	But there was no one to talk to. No one she could see. Just 
like the winds and the mist they carried, the Wanderer had 
vanished back into the Dreamworld.
	"Rei-chan," the shrine protege said.
	She looked into his eyes, and found within them a love that 
had been willing to die in exchange for her life. For so long he 
had been calling her, ready to risk everything he possessed to 
bring her back.
	He grinned as he brushed his hand along the folds of her 
battle fuku. "Sailor Mars," he remarked. "All this time I never 
knew. Either you are very good at keeping secrets, or I'm very 
blind."
	She laughed, relieved that he thought nothing of her hidden 
magik as a Sailor Senshi. Perhaps this was from Karasu, or else 
from the young man himself. But it didn't matter. He loved her for 
who she was.
	"Yuichiro," she said.
	"Hai."
	"Kiss me." Before he could react she reached up and took 
hold of his cheeks in her hands, bringing his lips to meet hers. 
Together they kissed. It was with regret that they parted, but 
there were others who wanted to see her.
	She thought she caught sight of Karasu in the corner of her 
eye, a glimpse of the Wanderer's billowing white cloak dancing in 
the winds. But when she turned all she saw was the fading wisps of 
grey mist.
	"Rei-chan?" the shrine protege asked.
	She smiled to herself and looked back to the edge of the 
forest. "Let's go home," she said, leading the way.


	He smiled as her and the shrine progete disappear, walking 
hand in hand in a return to the world they belonged to. So where 
did that leave him? Right now he didn't belong to either world.
	The Wanderer opened his hand, twirling three crystal orbs in 
his palm with his fingers. Gracefully he plucked one of the 
crystals from their rotation, raising the orb to his lips and 
blowing it into the winds. It floated like a bubble, soaring high 
into the heavens until it was lost in the night. The other two 
crystals followed its fated path.
	Floating wishes, a constant hope.
	He sighed and shook his head, removing his shades. "Why do I 
always let it end up being like this?" he remarked to himself. 
"She was the best thing that ever happened to me in five hundred 
years."
	Someone like her only came along once in a lifetime. And he 
had easily lived through two or three during his roaming between 
realms. Only once before had he found someone like her, and in 
both cases it was not meant to be.
	Perhaps it was all for the better.
	He laughed in spite of himself and replaced the shades over 
his crystal blue eyes. And so the Wanderer turned away and took 
his first step towards another journey with an unknown 
destination, his figure melting into the shadows of the night.
	"Sayonara...Rei-chan."


	The rays of an evening October sun were creeping in through 
the paper screens of the Shinto shrine building's fusama. Two 
forms were beneath covers of the single futon in the room, asleep 
together.
	One stirred and rose up from the covers, long dark hair 
flowing around her face. She stretched as she awoke, the warmth of 
the fading sunlight across her naked body. The young man mumbled 
something in his sleep and rolled over, his hand brushing against 
her thigh.
	She touched her breast, smiling as the memories returned to 
her. They had all cried when she finally met with them beneath the 
torii. And then with the sounding of a raven, she awoke and found 
herself beneath the covers of a bed. All her friends were in the 
room too, and they awoke to be together again.
	A long time of sharing experiences and stories; they all 
listened quietly as she told them the tale of the Wanderer, a 
raven by name and not wings. And even though he was gone, his 
magik was still with them all as she retold the stories of her 
travels.
	A cool draft moved through the room, and she reached for the 
kimono beside the futon. Disgarded there in the dying hours of the 
night as the sun rose, she and the young man had come together for 
her first time. Her body tingled at the thought of being so close, 
feeding off the passionate heat of each other's bodies. She had 
cried out when the wave of incredible pleasure rushed through her.
	Both exhausted from their love-making and from their battles 
in the Dreamworld, they had slept as if sunlight was moonlight. 
And this time she found herself standing next to her beloved, no 
longer lost but safe in his embrace.
	She sighed, still basking in the afterglow. Wrapping the 
kimono around herself, she slipped through the hallway and stepped 
outside. 
	Grandfather would return tomorrow morning. 
	She doubted she would ever tell him of this until much later 
in life. The others, especially the two guardian angels, had 
agreed it best to keep her lost days quiet for the moment.
	All around her the trees were rustling with the winds of 
dusk. The Shinto shrine was quiet tonight, thankfully. The only 
company she found there in the courtyard was her own shadow. Her 
violet eyes lifted up to the firelit skies.
	This one time she wanted to see the sunset, her first in a 
long while. High overhead the skies were bathed in deep blue, 
igniting and blazing the closer she looked to the horizon line.
	As she watched the sun slowly go to sleep on her side of the 
world, her thoughts drifted to the Wanderer. Where did he find 
himself now as she gazed upon the setting sun? Did he still 
remember her, or had another hundred years passed him by since 
they parted?
	She turned around, and let out a startled gasp as she 
suddenly struck someone in her walk.
	"G-Gomen," she said, bowing slightly.
	"Daijobu...Ojo-san," replied a familiar voice.
	Her eyes widened as caught sight of a dark jacket and white 
dress shirt move out of her peripheral vision, long strands of 
vibrant, shining blonde hair drifting down around the young man's 
shoulders.
	"Kara-chan!" she whispered, her lead still lowered.
	She whirled, and was met with only an empty walkway into the 
Shinto shrine. The winds played with her tresses of long dark hair 
and the ends of her kimono. 
	"Rei-chan?" 
	It was the protege of the shrine, her beloved. He smiled as 
he saw her violet eyes, his own hidden behind that scruffy brown 
hair of his. Strange that the young man still appeared as handsome 
as when transformed in the Dreamworld. Now whenever they walked 
amidst their beautiful dreams together, he was her knight. And 
would remain her knight until both the illusion and illusionist 
ever found a way home.
	"Daijobu, Rei-chan?" he asked.
	She smiled quietly and nodded, slipping her hand into his, 
fingers lacing together. With the rays of a setting October sun 
behind them, they walked together into one of the buildings. The 
fusama slid shut behind them, giving the two lovers some privacy 
for the heralded nightfall.
	And from atop the torii of her Shinto shrine, the Wanderer 
replaced the shades over his eyes. He smiled quietly to himself, 
his form slowly fading out from their world as if her were a 
ghost.
	"Until we meet again, Rei-chan. Until we meet again...."


=====================================================================

Tales of the Dreamworld, 4th Night - The Labyrinth's Tale
Rated R


	Enigma: (n) 2. an inexplicable circumstance, event 
	  or occurrence; an unsolved problem; mystery  3. a 
	  person not readily understood; one that exhibits 
	  an incomprehensible mix of opposite qualities

				-Webster's 3rd International Dictionary


	Just as every life possesses an instance that can be brought to life in 
words, the event becomes a chapter in a book, a story for others to gaze 
upon and be swallowed whole within the realm.
	A realm beyond the waking hours, forged from the magik of a 
thousand dreamers and their dreams. Within every soul lies a story to tell, 
each event a tale to give unto others.
	These tales, both surreal and sensual, are but a few of many 
chapters in a world given breath by a creator. Her name is Naoko 
Takeuchi. The people and their lives are of her heart and soul. They belong 
in her embrace. But the masquerade wraith and his eternal ballroom dance 
belong to another, and it is of my skin and soul. I embrace his masquerade 
and its silent labyrinth as my own children.
	I ask that none may steal any of them away from their creators. The 
world of the Moon Princess and her royal court belong to Naoko 
Takeuchi. Their hearts and souls belong to her; they are a part of her 
stories. But palace floating above a silver ocean is a part of my own story. 
Milady Naoko's princesses belong in their castles beyond the moon, and my 
masquerading lovers belong within the ballroom inside our dreams. 
	One of honour does not become a petty thief; I ask for your 
requests if you wish my raven angels to wander into other worlds and other 
stories.

	-His lordship Chaos  (hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com)



	The burning fire shakes in the night,
	  On high her silver candles gleam,
	With far-flung arms enflamed with light,
	  The trees are lost in dream.

	Come in thy beauty! 'tis my love,
	  Lost in far-wandering desire
	Hath in the darkling deep above
	  Set stars and kindled fire.

				-Walter de la Mare, "Invocation"


	Out in the distance there lies an ancient floating palace, a citadel 
hovering above the waves and waters of a deep and silver ocean. I can see 
the palace now from these sandy shores, a mere silhouette in the distance. 
It was these shores that found the dark-haired shrine girl amidst my 
wanderings. But that is another story, another tale to be told perhaps later 
or perhaps never again.
	Sometimes the line between fantasy and reality is blurred to the 
point where it does not exist. The Dreamworld in itself is proof of that, but 
holds its own boundaries of what is real and what is illusion. As a master of 
the art, I know of the soul who resides inside this floating palace. He is of 
the mysterious labyrinth and of the deceiving masks, woven perfectly into 
the eternal masquerade ball within those walls. But masks are not eternal, 
and will one day come off. Only then can we decipher between what is real 
and what is illusion.
	Of who it is we truly love.
	Of what it is we truly fear.
	Let me tell you a story....


	THE LABYRINTH'S TALE
	

	All around her lights seemed to glitter, as if all the stars in the sky 
had been captured and gathered here to be woven into a fabric of diamond 
gemstones.
	Slowly she walked down the large, spiral stairs that led into the 
sprawling ballroom. Arches and pillars adorned with statues of curving 
dragons and leaping dolphins were scattered across the expansive marble 
floor. Silver drapes were suspended in the air overhead, pillars and columns 
and archways decorating the ballroom everywhere she turned her eyes.
	Her eyes turned upwards, to the circular walls around her. In 
behind they were solid and firm up until the ceiling. These led deeper into 
the heart of the castle. And yet as they curved around to the far side of the 
ballroom, they became arches upon arches, both gothic and beautiful, a 
row of snowy white cut with a row of marble black.
	From these curved gateways a pale crescent moon shone into the 
grand room, its reflection bouncing off the ocean waves that only 
disappeared when the edge of the horizon was reached. Gentle ocean 
breezes flowed through, playing the ends of her sapphire gown. Laces and 
ruffles of overlapping crystal blue and ocean blue trailed down over her 
shoulders and at her feet. She could still feel the petals of the violet orchid 
touch her bangs of hair which, in the moonlight, shone a pale blue tint.
	She sighed. "It is beautiful," she admitted.
	But it was not for her. Such a place was for those down in the 
centre of the ballroom: those who were dressed in rich and flowing, 
opulent gowns, those wearing masks of a masquerade and dancing with 
another. She had come alone, and would leave alone. This was not a place 
for her to be, and yet once again she found herself drawn here. But why? 
What could she possibly find here that would give her a reason to dance, to 
thrill with the masquerade?
	And then she saw the shadow. 
	His shadow.
	He was high atop the arches encircling the ballroom, up at the 
second level of black marble. Seated against the inner curvature, he leaned 
against the firm structure, an arm propped up on one knee, his other leg 
dangling lazily over the edge. His suit was exotic and dark, black and 
formal. An enormous cloak was at his back, jade green beneath an outer 
wall of starless night.
	She felt her heart pound a little harder inside her ribcage. 
Something seemed to flood into her body. This couldn't be--was she 
feeling...excitement?
	"You...." she whispered.
	From high above the young man smiled playfully, and then leaned 
forward. His body toppled over the edge, dropping towards the marble 
floor. And yet as he fell there was the grace of a bird of prey, as if he were 
gliding on the winds, his cloak wrapping and overlapping around him.
	The suit and cloak, and thus the young man beneath them, were 
swallowed up by the others. A crowd of dancers and masks, twirling and 
twisting, laughing and drinking, lost in the gaze and smiles of each other. 
Plummage and colours, sparkling gemstones and fiery bodypaint flashed 
past her in a blur of exotic costumes, silken suits and fine garments.
	Her hand gripped the banister of the stairs. All these guises; how 
would she find him? This was a new sensation to her, living for the thrill of 
the hunt. But what was she hunting? Why was she hunting?
	It couldn't be that she found him...attractive. 
	It simply couldn't be that. 
	His face had been hidden in the shadows when he looked down at 
her with that smile. But his eyes: a pair of brilliant jade green eyes had 
stared at her with such a dangerous charm. "This must be a dream," she 
said quietly to herself. "I'm in the Dreamworld. But why here? Why this 
place?"
	She stepped down one stair, and then the next. It was time to take 
a chance, for that strange dancer had the answers she wanted. Within five 
steps of reaching the end of the stairs she was engulfed and in the thick of 
the masquerade dancers. 
	The sensation as she cut through the fevered couples was electric, 
her body starting tingle as she felt their emotions become hers. A bonding 
of auras and magik, brought about by such a large number of lovers 
dancing here together. She was starting to feel uneasy as her body started 
to grow warm but flustered.
	She turned, and saw a figure stealthily cut through the crowd of 
masked dancers. All she caught sight of was his dark suit and billowing 
cloak disappear behind a set of parading facades.
	For a moment it had appeared as if he was watching her.
	She moved through the ranks, searching for the young man behind 
the mask. She was oblivious to his presence as she passed him by. He was 
beside her for a moment, masked and leaning against the shoulders of a 
female dancer. A dark smile crossed his lips as she pushed past him, 
unaware that he was right beside her.
	Locks of straight and long, dark hair the colour of earthen-brown 
dangled around his eyes and draped past his shoulders, the remainder 
caught up and gathered together in a long and thick braid trailing down his 
waist. She never had a chance to fully see him save a glimpse as she 
glanced back. A smile pulled at his lips once more, and then he was gone as 
a dancer passed in front of him.
	Her eyes fell upon a couple dancing and laughing together, lost in 
each other's gazes. A tall brunette with a simple sparkling emerald eye 
mask and a young man with a long, dark braid, and a face hidden behind a 
mask of raven's feathers that stretched out like wings. For a moment she 
could have sworn she recognized those two dancers in the corner.
	She shook her head. "So familiar...." she mused to herself. She was 
unaware that as she thought the tall brunette and the raven angel's gazes 
now became focused on her. When she returned to watching the ballroom 
dancers, the couple had disappeared amidst the blur of gowns and facades.
	The tension in the air around her was growing almost unbearable. 
Her entire body was aroused in excitement, a foreign passion arising within 
her. "No," she whispered, calming herself. "It's just from the magik of the 
dancers. It's not from me. It's not...from me."
	An opening formed and she ducked through, breaking past the 
masquerade in the centre of the expansive ballroom. The outer rings of the 
enormous room were devoted to candelit tables and guised couples holding 
hands, engaged in quiet whispers and kisses.
	For a split second she could have sworn she saw him seated at a 
table, leaning back in a chair, the third party as two masked lovers moved 
closer and kissed. But he vanished once more, a literal wraith in her eyes.
	Was she just chasing a ghost?
	Her eyes darted over to the bar following the curve of the 
ballroom, the long and polished, black marble countertop almost 
completely filled with stocks of wine glasses waiting to be filled. In behind 
were exqusitely-shaped vials and bottles with contents waiting to fill the 
empty wine glasses. The liquids inside glowed of crimson waters. Behind a 
clear part of the counter, the suited bartender enjoyed the masquerade.
	The bartender seemed to be the only one here who was like her: 
without a companion, without a lover. Without someone who she could 
kiss, feel the warmth of their skin against hers--
	She shook her head. "Baka," she muttered. "It's the dancers."
	But regardless, she was starting to feel herself panic. These 
sensations were new and she didn't like it. This was not a place for her to 
be. She didn't want to be here.
	So then why hadn't she left this masquerade? 
	And as she turned once more she found her answer. Her heart 
seemed to beat fiercely upon seeing him standing there at the base of the 
curving stairs. His face was hidden behind the guise of a living ocean. 
	It was the mask of many waters, somehow rippling and catching 
rays of moonlight atop the crests. He had possessed the ocean within this 
mask, and now it was existing in a realm all of its own creation. Down the 
left cheek were kanji characters in bold crimson, unwavering to the oceans 
behind them. They stated in silence: meikyu. 
	Labyrinth.
	The folds of his black suit and equally dark cloak seemed to ripple 
without the winds calling them. They sparkled and shone with a magik all 
of their own. Senses reacting to his garments, unlike any she had ever seen; 
she could feel the danger as if she could feel the lining.
	The wraith turned his head and for a moment stared out at the 
ocean waters beyond the rows of open arches. His vision returned to the 
masquerade, and he stepped into the thick of the ballroom dancers. He 
seemed to move with them all, gliding effortlessly and cutting through each 
dancing couple. With each step he drew closer to her, his eyes never 
leaving her.
	She felt herself being pulled in, walking into the bubbling heat of a 
hotspring. Eyes of piercing jade waters seemed flood around her body. Half 
of her wanted to back away, to escape. The rest took control and let her 
stay, wanting to be submerged into his eyes.
	Two steps from her was when he stopped. Fingers reached for his 
mask, and then pulled it apart from his face. With agonizing hesitation he 
slowly slid it aside to reveal one of those piercing jade eyes. But the rest of 
his face was hidden in the mask and the shadow cast with its angle.
	"Mizuno Ami," she heard him whisper. But his lips neither parted 
nor moved. He had spoken without saying a word. And she could see the 
corner of his lips curve into another smile. Dark, dangerous, and alluring.
	Her eyes widened at the sound of her name. Her heart beat faster, 
her body flooded with an incredible sensation. Breathing quickened, 
thoughts raced.
	"I know you," she said quietly. "I know you...."
	With one final step he came closer until they were almost cheek 
against cheek. His one hand never left the mask that still hid his face in 
shadows; the other hand reached for the end of his cloak and threw it 
around them both.
	She gasped as the night seemed to fall upon her, smooth like black 
silk yet as electric as a midnight kiss. And then she surrendered to the 
beckoning of her world.
	As the waking hours called her back, she could still see the 
silhouette of the familiar stranger watching her go. His exotic laughter 
somehow thrilled her spirit as it echoed past her.
	"Mizuno Ami...we shall meet again."


	Her eyes were open as the alarm clock in her bedroom sounded. 
December sunlight was trickling in through the curtains shrouding her 
bedroom window. She sat up in bed, stretching and then silencing the 
alarm.
	The curtains were drawn back and she squinted at the light pouring 
in. A row of birds were perched just on the edge of the sill, turning as they 
heard her stirring on the other side of the glass.
	Abruptly they all flew off in a brilliant fury of wings and feathers, a 
cloud of blue and white taking flight. Out beyond them was a sky plagued 
with scattered billows of grey clouds. Perhaps it would snow today. 
Perhaps tomorrow.
	It did not matter; snow was snow. Nothing like the sight of 
moonlight reflection off the rippling waves of an ocean. Carefully she 
placed her palm against the glass, staring out at the girl staring back in the 
reflection. She looked the same, as unchanged as always, yet there was 
something she could see within her eyes that was troubling.
	There was a desire. But a desire for what? 
	Forgotten images were but a brief blur as they flashed past her 
mind's eye. Colours, lights, laughter. Nothing else, except the confusion 
that one had when they awoke from a curious world within a curious 
slumber.
	"I had the strangest dream," she said quietly to herself. "But then 
why can't I remember it?"
	For days on end, now becoming two weeks, this had been the 
cycle. She would awaken with a tingling all over her body from the 
Dreamworld's magik, but could not recall the dream she had walked 
through.
	This was not the sensations she felt when the others...made love to 
their soulmates. She blushed at the thought, chiding herself. This was no 
time to be thinking about such thoughts; academics were her priority. To 
become a doctor meant dedication. Romance didn't matter...did it?
	She could hear the winds moan from the outside world; it was 
going to be tempestuous out today. Sighing, she lowered her hand from the 
windowpane.
	"Mizuno Ami," the winds whispered in a distant voice. Her eyes 
widened; from another time, maybe even another life, she knew that voice.
	She paused, staring out past her reflection, out towards the city of 
Tokyo. But there was nothing more than the winds she heard.
	"It must be my mind playing tricks on me," she muttered 
regretfully. Why now, when she had come so far through school and now 
into high school?
	She glanced at her calendar. "December fifth," she read. "Mako-
chan's birthday."
	A party had already been planned; no one could do the catering as 
good as the tall brunette, and no one wanted to spoil a potentially romantic 
moment between the tall brunette and the raven angel by walking in 
unexpectedly.
	That was in good time later today.
	But the time on her clock was passing by with surprising speed. It 
was indeed the weekend, but she still had priorities. And a place to be 
within a few hours from now. Moments in between could be taken to 
study, to forget this fluttering in her heart and soul.
	A chance to bury this excitement.
	She needed a bath to clear her mind.


	The clean waters rippled as she dipped in her fingers to test the 
temperature. It was warm, very warm indeed. Just what she needed to 
relax--along with a good book. Delving into her studies was the best way 
to forget about all that troubled her.
	With a gentle sigh, sunlight from the window coming down to 
result upon her form, she undid her robe and let it fall to the floor. Hair 
clipped up, a dry towel right beside the bathtub, she raised a foot and 
stepped into the waters.
	"Kimochi," she sighed aloud, settling into the tub. 
	The waters were soothing indeed.
	Adjusting her glasses she tried to concentrate on the words within 
the book. They told her of ancient civilizations and of complex equations 
that fascinated her, yet today she found her focus lost.
	Instead the sparkling waters of the tub captured her attention. She 
froze as something seemed to catch the rays of the morning sun in the 
ripples of her bath water: a mask...a face...two jade green eyes staring out 
at her.
	Another image flashed in front of her, of an enormous ballroom 
with masked dancers--something out of a dream. And not just any dream, 
but her dream, the dream the she was awaking to every morning now.
	"Baka," she scolded herself. "Dreams shouldn't be doing this to 
you."
	And yet she could not deny that this was no mere dream. She was 
walking within that world, a gift given only to a priveleged few like her 
friends. But where in the Dreamworld had she been as of recently?
	Once she had recalled nights filled with incredible memories that 
stirred her heart for days long after. Now the dreams she found herself in 
were forgotten with awakening. Could she have lost touch with the 
walking dreamers? Or was she wanting to forget about her visits to the 
Dreamworld? If that was the case, then something or someone must have 
really given her a reason for escaping.
	She sighed, forgetting about the book and leaning against the cool 
ceramic frame of the tub. The warm waters were lapping all around her 
skin. The book was closed and set aside, discarded.
	Her mind was starting to race in fevered pitch the more she thought 
about the Dreamworld, about dangerous eyes of jade. And the more she 
thought, the more memories she uncovered. It had been a masquerade ball, 
grand and like something out of the ancient Moon Kingdom.
	And the oceans: the ocean possessed within the mask of the young 
stranger. A mask marked by the labyrinth. Then there was the oceans out 
beyond the ballroom, seen between the rows of arches that curved around 
the grand palace. So much like the Sea of Serenity.
	She suddenly wanted to be there again more than anything else, to 
be swimming in the waters. No, not cool waters; a hotspring, someplace 
with steam and heated romance. Her breath quickened with the motions of 
the water. She barely even aware of what was taking on life.
	Her own magik gave her power over this elemental, and now it 
was responding to her silent commands. The bathwater started to steam, 
growing hotter now, curving up her body. Waves caressed her chest and 
shoulders, flowed through her legs and waist. It felt like a lover's touch, 
warm and arousing. Her breathing became flustered, her voice a mere 
whimper. The steam was starting to collect in droplets on her reading 
glasses, the lenses blurred.
	No longer content to simply sit, her hands started to move and 
caress with the waters, fingers tracing every contour of her body. Far away 
in some recess at the back of her mind, she could hear a whispered plea to 
stop. But it was only a dying voice, and the pounding of her heart drowned 
out the whisper.
	Her skin tingled incredibly, warm water rushing past her and 
flowing all around her. She seemed to melt under a liquid caress that 
touched her lips, her breasts, her thighs. She moaned softly, more urgently. 
Something was building up inside of her, electric energy causing her entire 
body to shiver in desire. Holding it back was growing more difficult as the 
water seemed to wrap around her with a bubbling kiss.
	The floodgates broke, and a surge of exhilaration flowed through 
her entire body, radiating out and touching every last nerve. Her legs flexed 
and trembled, mind lost within the rapture. Everything came to life within 
her, and for a moment that enigmatic ocean mask was lost to the host of 
the masquerade.
	"Me...i...kyu," she whispered, her eyes half closed. 
	Something inside of her snapped as she spoke his name. And she 
snapped out of her reverie, the dream coming to a crashing halt. She sat up 
in the tub, the water now glistening from her body while her body now 
glistened from the water. She trembled, though the emotions were opposite 
to what they were moments ago.
	She suddenly felt uncertain, changed in some way. This was all too 
foreign, all too new to her. All too dangerous. What would the others think 
if they knew? She felt alone in the vast world of the waking hours, naked 
and wet and frightened.
	What was happening to her?
	Why was she feeling this way?
	"Baka," she whispered, on the verge of tears. "Baka. Baka! 
BAKA!!"


	There was a chill in the sweeping winds today, the air growing 
colder into the winter season. Soon it would snow, the ambience giving 
way to cuddling next to a roaring fire with the one you loved. She shook 
her head, brushing the thought aside. She had no time for that. And what's 
more, she resignedly and cautiously admitted, she had no one to sit next to 
before that roaring fire.
	A part of her was still trembling over the morning's bath. She had 
been so overcome that it frightened her. But what else could be done? 
Once again the feelings were buried deep within her heart. That had been a 
moment of weakness. Never again would she let that happen.
	She would not feel so alone again.
	She would not let anyone in.
	"Ami-chan?" a concerned voice asked. "Daijobu?"
	Abruptly she returned to the Shinto shrine, and the room beneath 
the roofs of its buildings. 
	"Ami-chan?" the odango-haired blonde pressed again, seated next 
to the dark-haired prince.
	She nodded, hiding her real emotions. It was safer this way. Safer 
for them and safer for her.
	"Ne, where's Sora?" asked the long-haired blonde. "He's not 
usually late."
	"Sora's always concerned whether or not he's getting the right gift," 
the raven knight said with a wry grin. "You never want to go shopping 
with him. He's even worse than Minako-chan."
	Kishi got elbowed in the side for that.
	They all were gathered together around the low-standing table save 
the raven angel, who was soon to arrive with the tall brunette's present. 
The guest of honour remained in behind the stack of wrapped boxes, 
smiling at them all. A place next to her was reserved for Sora.
	The odango-haired blonde and the dark-haired prince were on the 
couch, one leaning against the other. In front of them, kneeling before the 
table, were the long-haired blonde and the raven knight. Directly across the 
table from the tall brunette were the dark-haired shrine girl and the shrine 
protege, hands clasped on the tabletop.	
	She was the only one feeling left out of place, one side devoted to 
her and her alone. No friends, no companions, no lover. The tension right 
then seemed more intense, and the memories of the morning came back.
	Her blue eyes darted over to the fusama as it quietly slid open and 
the latecomer slipped through. "Do you know what day it is?" the raven 
angel whispered into the tall brunette's ear. 
	The young woman gave a smug grin. "A day like any other day, 
Sora-chan."
	"Not just a mere day," Sora answered. "This is the day I celebrate 
life reborn to me, captured in your eyes."
	With a gentle hand he placed a small box wrapped in an emerald 
bow in the tall brunette's lap. "For you, Mako-chan. Don't open it until 
later."
	"Oh come on!" the long-haired blonde said. "Anticipating death 
always leads to worse stomach ulcers!"
	"That's 'anticipation of death is far worse that death itself', Milady," 
the raven knight corrected with a weary sigh. "Have you ever gotten a 
quote right in your entire life?"
	"Kishi!" The long-haired blonde playfully jabbed Kishi's side with 
an elbow again.
	"This is borderline abuse, you know," the raven knight said with a 
smirk.
	"Come on!" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed. "Open it, Mako-
chan! Maybe it's food! Maybe it's chocolates!"
	"The present is for Mako-chan, Usagi--not for you," the dark-
haired shrine girl stated. "Baka."
	"Don't be so mean, Rei-chan!" the odango-haired blonde pouted.
	She smiled as she watched all her friends excitedly talk with each 
other. For so long she had been alone, without friends. But ever since she 
had met the odango-haired blonde everything had changed. That had been 
the day she discovered her destiny as a longlost soldier. But what had that 
magik given her recently? Only questions in dreams and hesitation in 
awakening.
	"Why not open it now?" the tall brunette exclaimed, starting with 
the bow.
	"Mako-chan," the raven angel cautioned, beautiful face starting to 
blush.
	"It's not going to hurt if we see it now, will it?" the tall brunette 
remarked.
	Sora cast an uneasy glance at them all. "Ano...."
	With a final tug on the bow, the tall brunette flipped open the lid 
and stared down at the gift inside, eyes widening and cheeks turning a 
bright red. "I can't show this to my friends!" the tall brunette exclaimed 
amidst a fit of nervous giggles and laughter.
	"Let me see! Let me see!" the long-haired blonde said, leaning over 
and plucking the gift from its box. The long-haired blonde's jaw dropped as 
they all stared at the piece of dark and provocative negligee.
	Everyone's eyes seemed to become wider.
	"S-sugoi," the odango-haired blonde managed to stammer out.
	"Interesting," Kishi remarked, looking to the raven angel. "I never 
would have expected you to be so risque, Sorata." Sora shot Kishi a dark 
glare. The raven knight nudged the long-haired blonde. "Remind you of 
any recent birthday presents, Milady?"
	The long-haired blonde blushed and giggled nervously. "Urusai, Ki-
chan!"
	She could feel her entire body start to heat up, growing flushed 
with shy embarrassment. The waters of the bath seemed to pale in 
comparison now, and for a moment she accepted what she had done. 
Maybe even liked it. Maybe even wanted to experience it again....
	The black form of the negilee caught the dying sunlight, and flashed 
in her eyes. And in that moment she suddenly caught sight of the silhouette 
of a masked stranger, a black tuxedo and cloak fluttering with the folds of 
negligee.
	She blinked, turning away. No, it was only a dream. Nothing more, 
and thus nothing more to think about. The bath had been one thing; the 
dream was altogether different. One had not come out of the other.
	"Sorry we're late, little girls," came a new voice.
	They all turned as a pair of young yet mature women walked 
through the open sliding partition, one with sandy-blonde hair, the other 
with long, wavy aqua-green hair.
	"Haruka-san! Michiru-san!" the tall brunette exclaimed, a smile 
growing with the sight of the two women.
	"I see someone has taste in their presents," the tall, sandy-blonde 
remarked with a wicked grin upon seeing the negligee.
	"When was the last time you got something like that for me?" the 
aqua-haired woman replied playfully.
	Both Sora and the tall brunette turned new shades of pink, the tall 
brunette stuffing the negligee back into its box. "A little later tonight, Sora-
chan," the tall brunette quickly whispered afterwards.
	And the celebration of eighteen years lived by the tall brunette 
began. The last one of them to turn this age and yet the first one of them to 
experience the wonders of the Dreamworld. 
	She moved over as the tall, sandy blonde and the aqua-haired 
woman sat down next to her in front of the table. She found herself looking 
at the couples around the room. The only single girl there, she felt more left 
out now than ever before.
	As always, the conversations turned to romance and boyfriends--
something she always found herself blushing shyly through. Except now it 
was ever moreso awkward; everyone else had a boyfriend. Granted Haruka 
and Michiru were unique, but Haruka was tomboyish enough to be seen as 
a guy. They all had mistaken the tall, sandy-blonde for a boy in their first 
encounter.
	"What about you, Ami-chan?" the long-haired blonde inquired. 
"You're the last one here to get a boyfriend."
	"Didn't you promise yourself to find a guy once you got into high 
school?" the tall brunette teased.
	She found herself blushing furiously. "I--er, that is...." she stuttered. 
Shimatta; of all the times for her mind to suddenly shut down. 
	"I'm surprised you haven't met someone in the Dreamworld yet," 
the aqua-haired woman remarked. "That seems to be the trend with you 
girls here."
	The masquerade dancer: that young man in black. Her eyes 
widened as his image seemed to catch her vision from a shadow, once 
again only half his face revealed as his head turned towards her. Such a 
dangerous smile he wore.
	She quickly shook her head at the question. "Iie. No one in the 
Dreamworld," she lied. But was she really lying?
	She noted how everyone was slightly dejected at her answer. The 
odango-haired blonde seemed a little more disappointed than the others, 
sighing in exasperation.
	"What are we going to do with you, Ami-chan?" the dark-haired 
shrine girl said.
	The tall sandy-blonde whispered something into the aqua-haired 
woman's ear, which elicited a demure chuckle in response. "Ara, Haruka, if 
you so insist."
	"What?" the shrine protege inquired. 
	"I'll tell you later," the aqua-haired woman replied with a smile. 
"When we tango."
	She glanced around the room as everyone seemed to share a 
knowing expression. If she wasn't so preoccupied with her own dreams, 
she might have understood that something was going on behind her back.
	But all she could find herself drifting to were thoughts of a living 
ocean trapped within a mask, and an enigmatic wraith who drifted between 
dancers in a grand ballroom. But his name--what was it?
	She had uttered it once, in the afterglow.
	If only she could remember....


	Music played on in the background, a raging symphony for the 
dancers. Yet while she was moved by the music, she did not move with it. 
This still did not seem to be her place.
	She found herself once more walking down those curving stairs 
that led into the grand masquerade, continuing its midnight rampage while 
beyond it the waves of the ocean still rolled past. The sparkling silver 
caught moonbeams everywhere she turned. Dancers were swirling about in 
a feverous pace tonight, laughing and revelling in their celebration. 
	Folds of deep ocean and shimmering crystal blue rustled with each 
step she took. Her eyes wer searching once more for a familiar stranger. All 
she found were couples.
	A young female dancer with long dark hair stared up at a young 
man. Just like all the others, they were masked: the dark-haired one 
wearing facepaint of raging flames down one cheek that somehow merged 
into a mask hiding violet eyes, the young man wearing a shining golden 
eyemask almost hidden by long bangs of brown hair. They were both 
deeply absorbed with each other.
	"Yuichiro," she thought she heard the dark-haired girl whisper to 
the young man, yet with all the laughter and the dim of the masquerade she 
couldn't be even remotely certain.
	She turned away, her eyes looking for someone else. She never 
saw the dancers slowly turn her way and smile before being swallowed up 
by the other people.
	"Where are you?" she whispered quietly. By this time she had 
usually caught at least a single glimpse of the strange wraith.
	And then she saw the rippling ocean waters trapped within a mask, 
bearing the kanji for labyrinth. Long strands of earthen brown hair trailed 
around the mask, and within the waves she could see two jade eyes staring 
back.
	Her heartbeat quickened, startling if not frightening her. 
	"He must know how I can get out," she whispered, trying to calm 
herself. This was strictly professional, one dreamer to another. It had 
nothing to do with...with his eyes.
	That familiar sensation started to creep through her body, warm 
like the steam rising up from a hotspring on a cool night. She held her 
breath, trying to calm the fierce beating of her heart.
	And then he was gone, a stare and smile in her direction before a 
twirling couple passed between them. It was only for a second, but it was 
all he required, for he was gone once more. She pushed through the thick 
of the dancers until she came out from the masquerade and found not a 
trace of him.
	She sighed, stepping back. Hands reached behind and found 
something solid; she had walked into the counter of the bar.
	"Something for the lady, perhaps?" a voice inquired.
	She looked up and saw the bartender standing before her: a young 
man, tall and dressed in a dark suit jacket and white shirt, shades hiding his 
own eyes.
	"No, thank you," she said politely. 
	The bartender grinned. "Didn't think you were the kind to drink, 
anyways," he remarked, raising a personal glass of red wine to her. 
"However, alcohol is not the only thing served here. If you're thirsty, just 
make a request."
	She noticed that there was something visibly different, setting the 
bartender apart from the others in the masquerade. Not his duty, but his 
face--and the fact that she could see it.
	"Where is your mask?" she asked.
	The young man sipped the wine. "I am my own mask, if you will 
permit me to be so cryptic. But since I'm only behind the bar, I don't really 
need as fancy a charade as the others. My shades do the task nicely. What 
about you?"
	She blinked. "Excuse me?"
	"You're also without a mask. What are you here for then, if not to 
dance in the masquerade?"
	She could feel herself getting flustered. Dancing was not on her 
mind, and this place was not for her. So then why had she come at all?
	"I...I'm looking for someone," she answered.
	Her eyes darted to the dancers in the central area, and once more 
she caught sight of the elusive wraith, that dark suit and cloak passing 
between masqueraders.
	She pushed away from the bar, moving towards the parading 
ballroom dancers. She had to see him again, to try to find the face behind 
the mask, and the eyes that she so longed to gaze into.
	So fierce was her determination that she never even noticed the 
soul she was searching for walk up to the bar not two steps behind her. 
With a smile he watched her move around the ballroom dancers, and then 
cut through the thick of the crowd.
	"I hope you find what you're looking for, Ami-chan," the Wanderer 
said quietly, crystal blue eyes behind the shades glancing over to the dark-
haired shrine girl. With a sigh, the bartender returned to the duties behind 
the counter.
	She still continued in her search, and once again saw a glistening 
tuxedo and cloak of darkness ripple, moving in behind a pillar. And then 
there was a shadow walking beneath an archway that led into an 
antechamber.
	Something deep down begged her to remain inside the ballroom; as 
dangerous as it was, this grand palace was far more safer than in the 
corridors of whatever was built along with it. But she found herself unable 
to stay. A strange fluttering of her heart and soul seemed to lead her 
forward.
	The archway soon was behind instead of before her, and she found 
herself walking through grand corridors of more arches and balconies that 
overlooked the ocean waters. Here it was quieter, not as rowdy as the 
celebration within the ballroom. Couples were talking softly to one another 
and sharing moments of passion and intimacy through whispers, kisses and 
laughter.
	Large bubbling fountains ran down the middle of the corridor, 
adding to the atmosphere of this newfound place. She caught a glimpse of 
living oceans at the corner, disappearing behind the fountain spout. 
	Another couple were seated next to the fountain, just on the stone's 
edge. The young lady was leaning back, hand tracing ripples in the crystal 
blue waters, eyes hidden beneath an eyemask that glittered like a thousand 
stars in a midnight sky. Tresses of long blonde hair flowed out past the 
mask. A smile came to the long-haired blonde's face as a small, sandy-
coloured dragon hopped onto the folds of the sparkling night dress.
	"Suna!" the young man said, shooing the playful creature aside. 
"Let her be for the moment. You will have plenty of time to frolick with 
Milady later."
	The young man, dressed in black robes and crimson cloak, wearing 
a mask that resembled the grey, sloping skull of a dragon or some other 
large reptile or beast, clasped hands with the long-haired blonde.
	She turned away as the two passionately kissed. She could feel her 
own cheeks flush, her body starting to tingle once more. What was this 
feeling, and why did it suddenly have to start now? Her rationale faultered 
for a moment; she knew this feeling, of when her friends and their 
Dreamworld lovers were sharing magik.
	Why now of all times?
	She felt too vulnerable here within this palace at the edge of the 
ocean, with lovers and dancers and facades all spinning around her. Her 
breathing became erratic out of fear and arousal; she had to get out, but 
was unsure how to escape this Dreamworld itself. 
	The folds of her dress billowed out around her as she turned in 
every direction, trying to to panic and not succeeding very well. And then 
her vision found an arched doorway that led away from both the corridor 
and the masquerade. She ran for it, though not swiftly due to her dress.
	The archway opened up to a case of descending stairs, which she 
followed. Another room opened up and she found herself staring at an 
ocean closer now than before. She couldn't help but smile at the peace she 
found while staring at the waves. There was another set of descending 
stairs and again she followed them.
	She reached the end of halls and rooms with ceilings and walls. 
Now she found herself with an open sky over her head. Slowly she turned 
and saw the palace towering above her, glistening silver stones flawlessly 
woven together to form walls and rooms and towers and balconies. The 
face of the rock resembled sloping cliffs and she was unable to tell if the 
castle had been built around them, or if the rocks had been built around the 
palace. 
	The courtyard where she stood was empty save for her. 
Glimmering cobblestones were beneath her feet as beautifully carved 
railings curved around the edge of the world. She walked over to the 
railing and peered over the side.
	Her sight was met with air and below that water; this entire place 
was floating, hovering over the ocean's surface. "Sugoi," she found herself 
whispering.
	"Do you wish to leave this place?" asked a strange voice.
	She whirled, startled. But it came from below, where at the base of 
curving stairs a small trimaran was moored to a narrow platform in the 
water.
	"Do you wish to leave this palace?" the boatman asked again, 
looking up. And yet she could not see his face or eyes, for they were 
hidden beneath a dark, hooded robe.
	The tides of passion swept through her body again; another pair of 
lovers were together now in full magik. If she remained here any longer, 
she didn't know what might happen.
	Her blue eyes focused on the boatman and she nodded. 
	She moved down the small staircase, watching the rock slowly tilt 
downwards until it was but a few inches above the lapping waves of the 
ocean. The boatman reached out a hand and helped her onto the first hull 
of the trimaran, instructing her to sit wherever she wanted as he untied the 
boat from its moorings. She chose the far left tarpaulin, sitting down atop 
the netted canvas and drawing her knees to her breasts. The boatman kept 
to the stern of the trimeran, and with a wave of his hand the sails suddenly 
came to life and the vessel was off.
	The night was blue if not a violet that resembled shades of black. A 
cloudless night save the few vapour mists lazily trailing past the brilliant full 
moon. Its glow was almost too bright to look at, the dark spots readily 
visible to the naked eye. From here she could see the shadow of the rabbit.
	That was once the odango-haired blonde's homeworld. Once a 
long time ago, in another life. She couldn't help but smile as the feelings left 
her, and she felt at peace with this ocean world. 
	A glance back confirmed that the palace and its rock foundation 
were indeed floating over the water's surface, drifting almost like a petal in 
the wind. Yet already it was but a shadow in the distance, the trimaran 
making incredible speed but without a furious tempest at her face.
	This had to be magik.
	"Not many souls have come my way and asked to leave the 
Moonlight Masquerade," she heard the boatman remark. There was 
something vaguely familiar about his voice. "Why would you wish to sail 
across the Ocean of the Silver Orchids?"
	For a time she simply watched the moonlight reflecting off the 
ripples of waves. And then she found herself making a response. "It...isn't 
where I should be," she answered. "That ballroom, those people; I feel as 
if I am placing myself in danger when I find myself there."
	The boatman manipulated some of the ropes and the unique wheel 
to change the sails, the boom swinging high over her head to the other side 
of the trimaran. "If danger frightens you," the boatman said. "then do not 
push it. Keep away until you are certain it holds no fear over you. Don't go 
back."
	She looked back at the ancient castle floating above the waves, 
now just a silhouette in the distance. "But I have to return," she said, 
shaking her head. "I just have to."
	"Then what is holding you back?" the boatman asked. "Is it really 
danger you're frightened of? Or the danger of love?"
	"I don't know," she said finally. "I don't know...."
	She closed her eyes as the evening breeze flowed past her, not cold 
enough to chill but cool enough to refresh and envigorate. This was her 
place to be: alone and amidst the waves of the water. Strangely enough, 
there was no salty aroma to the ocean: it smelled of cold springwater that 
had come from a crashing waterfall.
	Abruptly something broke through the surface in a wave of 
crashing white foam, pushing out from the ocean depths as droplets of 
water gleamed off its sleek, silver body.
	Her eyes widened in pure joy as she watched the dolphin frolick 
before her, the waterborne swimmer squeaking as it cut through the waves 
and dove beneath her. Another dolphin emerged with a response, throwing 
itself high into the air.
	The dolphin was so close that if she reached out over the edge of 
the trimaran she could touch its sleek skin. But she resisted, too captivated 
to watch. An entire pod soon emerged, dolphin upon dolphin leaping 
gracefully through air and water. They were before and beside the trimaran, 
acting like a royal envoy.
	All her tensions were forgotten in that moment; all the fears, 
hesitations and guilt were lost in the wonder of the magik surrounding her. 
And it was then that she heard the melody of a flute, delicate like a crystal 
to produce music that possessed the very winds of the skies. One breath 
gave life to a note that echoed across the open ocean waters, taken up by a 
chorus of dolphins.
	A soft and beautifully haunting song was lifted up to the skies and 
the stars they kept. Her own heart seemed to soar with these dolphins, and 
the longing burned more now than ever before. Such an incredible magik 
was here; her cheeks grew flushed as her body created its own warmth.
	Slowly she turned to search for the source of the flute's music. And 
this source was the boatman of the trimaran. The winds arose, blowing at 
the edges of the hood yet unable to push it back and reveal the boatman. 
Most of his face was conspired to remain hidden behind shadows and 
fabric, and by long strands of earthen brown hair.
	"Sayonara, Mizuno Ami."
	Her eyes widened, the strange familiarity of the voice becoming all 
too clear. Only when the boatman had said her name did she recognize it.
	"You!" she called out, turning around.
	But the moment she turned, moonlight ripples on the water became 
blurred, and then brilliant. Suddenly she found herself turning within the 
masquerade dance. Her heart was still beating fiercely, her body warm and 
tingling.
	The was all so incredible, and at the same all too frightening for 
her. "What is your name?" she whispered quietly, trembling. "What is your 
name?"
	"You know it already," came a whisper in answer. "You have just 
chosen to forget it."
	She whirled, and saw a flash of billowing night cloak disappear into 
the shadows of an alcove. A living ocean spilled out from the darkness, 
amidst the water two jade eyes piercing the waves. She felt herself 
drowning in his gaze, overcome with feelings she had tried to keep buried 
deep down.
	Her breasts seemed taut against the folds of her dress as then a 
word formed on her lips, and she remembered what for so long she had 
been trying to forget.
	"Meikyu...."


	Slowly her eyes opened, and she smiled at the warmth of her bed 
with December sunlight trickling in. Today was one more day where 
school--or crams schools, for that matter--was not a necessity to attend. 
Yet even if it had been such a day, thoughts of academics had left her mind; 
all she could think about was that floating palace over a deep blue ocean.
	"What an incredible dream," she murmured to herself.
	She was still coming out of exotic estacy and had yet to realize that 
for the first time in nights and dreams, she had been a part of the waking 
dreamers. No longer would nor could she forget. The rush of the winds 
past her with the pod of dolphins gracefully leaping about. That haunting 
melody of a crystal flute, and those jade green eyes.
	Her hand slipped in between the fabric of her nightgown, nimbly 
undoing the button holding the two edges together. Fingers caressed and 
gently ran down her chest, tracing her breasts. The result gave way to both 
hands moving beneath fabric, alive with the brushing against skin and 
electric nerves.
	"I shouldn't be doing this," she whispered through clenched teeth 
and closed eyes. "This is wrong."
	It felt foreign, uncertain...dangerous. Deliciously dangerous 
though, and for all the thoughts telling her to pull back she found that she 
could only push forward.
	Her movements, her explorations became more frantic, and nothing 
else seemed to matter. She was alive, on fire, a powerful warmth radiating 
out from the core of her body. And then with a last, single touch she lost 
control. She gasped, carried away by a flood of whirlwind sensations and 
explosions that sent her body quivering. Eyes half open or perhaps half 
closed, she turned her head and stared at the far wall of her bedroom.
	A shadow seemed alive there, standing tall as a silhouette. And 
there she could see a guise of living ocean waters and crimson kanji.
	"Meikyu," she whispered, but was so lost in the afterglow she 
forgot everything, even that she had spoken a name. His name, the name of 
a master of the masquerades.


	It may not have been a day regularly devoted to the routine of 
studies, but she still was in the habit of keeping her mind sharp. Declining 
from another gathering of lovers and dreamers, she had adjourned to the 
national library in the hopes of keeping ahead.
	The morning's event left her without guilt or uneasiness. Those 
tides had long since ebbed, and now there was a strange anticipation of 
dreaming tonight. Yet a part of her still broke fantasy down with hard 
reality.
	How much of this Dreamworld did she truly understand? The 
masquerade wraith was always close but never near, and she had yet to see 
his face fully revealed. There was something dark about the way he smiled, 
about the piercing gaze within his jade eyes.
	These questions still dogged her, and there was the ever-present 
discomfort in being the only one without a boyfriend while in the company 
of her friends.
	She glanced over as she saw a children's reading group assembling 
nearby. A young man, his face at an angle away from her, seemed to be the 
leader. The children all seated themselves around the young man, readily 
excited enough to keep quiet save a few whispers.
	"I have a story to tell you, children. Within our dreams is a world 
of pure fantasy and magik, where the ancient dragons still roam and angels 
fly on raven wings. Here exist tales of love and honour. One such tale is of 
an ocean realm, connected with the legends that there used to be a 
kingdom established on Earth's moon."
	More people were turning around to listen in on the story being 
told. Even she seemed caught up; no matter how focused she tried to keep 
herself, the young man's words pulled her into the realm he was weaving. 
She decided not to turn and look, but to listen as if she were still reading 
her own books.
	He continued: "In this world it was believed that each planet used 
to be a paradise like Earth, and that each planet had a royal family. The 
ruler of the solar system was a queen who lived on the once then beautiful 
moon. One of these planetary queens, a princess at the time, walked into 
this realm of waking dreams. She was of the royal family of Mercury." 
	'She'?
	She nearly dropped the book in her hands, stunned. That was her 
family, her royal blood. And this entire story sounded like it came out from 
the Dreamworld. What could it mean? Bangs of blue hair flowed together 
as she turned her head, joining the other listeners. The young man still had 
his back to her, and continued to tell the story.
	"This princess found and fell in love with one of the raven angels 
guarding this Dreamworld. But they were doomed to never be together 
unless she dreamed. They never did stop loving each other despite this, 
even when she found a king and raised a family.
	"She died in her sleep, and in her final dream she visited the raven 
angel one last time. She brought with her a single blossoming silver orchid, 
a legendary flower with silver petals tipped crystal blue, said to be only 
grown in the Imperial Palace upon the moon. When her tears struck the 
orchid, the angel used his magik to preserve the beauty of their love 
forever. 
	"It became an ocean. And nothing, not even the creatures of 
darkness lurking within our dreams, can try to conquer its magik. Now 
after thousands of years he has found his true princess, and his devotion is 
for her and her alone. Look carefully in your dreams, and you might see 
him dancing in a palace above the ocean waves, searching for his newfound 
soulmate."
	Her heart suddenly jumped inside her chest, her cheeks growing 
flushed as a strange warmth seemed to flood through her body. Yet this 
could not have been from her past life; the princess here had become a 
queen and died peacefully. She had been killed in defending princess 
Serenity from the Dark Kingdom, dying a violent and sudden death.
	No, this had to be an ancestor.
	There was awed silence, everyone hushed as they felt something 
pull at their very souls. A potent magik was seeping into the library, and 
kept its hold even as the children quietly stood and filtered out.
	She pushed her chair back and stood, eyes searching for the weaver 
of this tale. Yet all she could catch were fleeting bangs of long, earthen 
brown hair that were suddenly swallowed up by moving people. A single 
person came between them for a moment, and in that moment the reader 
had vanished.
	None the less she walked over to the place where he had read to 
the children. All that was left behind was a small, leatherbound book. On 
the cover was a nothing but a name and a title.
	Meikyu.
	The title read "Eternal Masquerade".


	The book was taken home with her that day, and while she dared 
not open the cover, the literature remained on the desk within her 
bedroom. Her mind was clouded over with thoughts turning against 
thoughts.
	Her heart was pleading to be heard over her fears.
	The hour was growing late, and the next day would give way into a 
rebirth of the weekly school routine. Yet she stayed awake, hoping to 
somehow avoid being sucked into the masquerade once more. A 
confrontation with the masquerade wraith, with Meikyu, might lead to 
something else out of her control.
	She blushed at the memory of the morning, of just waking up to a 
pleasurable warmth that led to...well, it led to the exact feelings she got 
when her friends made love. But it wasn't so bad, was it?
	Her hand instinctively moved for her breasts, and the exotic 
ceremony began anew. She moaned softly, falling backwards on the bed as 
her body was flooded with electric estacy. When she reached the climax, 
she stifled a sharp cry, her legs flexing off the covers of her bed.
	Exhausted from both the pleasure and the late hour, she was unable 
to resist any longer. Her eyes closed, and she slipped back into the realm of 
the waking dreamers. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew he 
would be waiting for her...and a part of her hoped to find him again.


	The symphony of night was still in full crescendo as she gracefully 
stepped down the curving staircase, her blue eyes searching out for her 
wraith. A cloak rippled from behind a set of twirling masqueraders.
	Sidestepping the thick of the ballroom dancers, she worked her 
way around the outermost ring of the entire grand room. She passed by the 
bar, unaware that she was being watched by others in the masquerade. A 
tall sandy-blonde who looked almost like a young man leaned against the 
bar, sided by a stunningly beautiful woman with wavy, aqua-green hair, 
smiled as they watched her pass.
	"Ne, you ever get the feeling that she's seriously trying to delude 
herself about how she feels?" the tall sandy-blonde remarked, taking a sip 
of the wine.
	The woman with the aqua-green hair smiled. "After night upon 
night of this same game, you would ask such an obvious question, 
Haruka?"
	"With one so delicate as her, she needs to be the one to approach 
him," the bartender said, brushing aside some strands of shining blonde hair 
as he leaned in between them on the counter. "And I think he's grown 
rather fond of being chased like this. Hunter and hunted, so to speak."
	She remained oblivious to their words, however. The fleeting 
shadow of her host was nowhere to be seen or even glimpsed. Perhaps he 
was late in coming. Or else he was waiting in another place.
	Then she caught sight of a figure in black moving beneath the 
archway that led into the fountain corridor. She pursued, certain that the 
wraith she was following held a mask of living oceans. But as she 
disappeared beneath the archway, a young man dressed in a dark tuxedo 
looked up from a table for two he was sitting at. 
	A hand reached for the true guise of rippling waves, lowering it 
from part of his face. "Now where does she think she's going?" he mused, 
raising his glass of wine and downing the remainder of the drink. The mask 
went back onto the face, and he moved to follow her.


	For how long she walked she was unsure, though she was certain 
that unless a guide showed up she was surely lost inside the floating palace. 
The familiar figure darted around a corner and she gave chase.
	Her breath and footsteps came to an abrupt halt as she stared at the 
corridor laid out before her. It may have been made like any other corridor 
inside the palace, but there was more in the magik she felt.
	The hallway was larger, adorned with pillars that stretched up to a 
sloping ceiling. Large glass panels allowed moon and starlight to shine 
down upon her. A fountain bubbled in the centre, fed from a channel of 
water and a waterfall from the highest platform. Various tropical plants 
were scattered across this atrium, and banners with the characters for 
labyrinth hung from various timbers and buttresses. 
	Indeed this corridor seemed just like all the others.
	But it was the gateway that caught her attention. Forming the only 
visible doorframe was a torii, but this gateway was not crimson but of 
blackest night. Shadows seemed to dart in and out from the frame, but 
faded before they made it a foot outside.
	"Come to us," a chorus of beautiful voices whispered.
	There was something drawing her closer, whispers she couldn't 
quite make out clearly. Enticing her with dreams and desires, they 
beckoned.
	A draft swept through the deserted hall, her gown rippling like 
cascades of a waterfall. She shivered, suddenly longing for a warm touch. 
Her wish was granted faster than she expected, a hand coming to rest upon 
her bare shoulder. 
	"I would be against venturing into such a realm," came a new voice 
from the silence, startling her.
	She whirled, her heart beating fiercely within her ribcage. In that 
moment she was overcome with adrenaline. The next moment as she saw 
the young man before her, she took everything back about longing for the 
warm touch of a lover.
	It...it wasn't what she really wanted. Just a momentary thought that 
would pass to never return. And then she realized that it hadn't passed, but 
returned with overpowering euphoria at the caress of his firm fingers 
against her tender skin. 
	The guise was gone from his face, a breathing ocean no longer his 
facade. Now she could see yet not see, for the shadows cast behind him 
cloaked half his face in darkness. The long strands of hair helped in the 
conspiracy, and now she was still uncertain to how he truly appeared.
	But his eyes were ever piercing, dark jade watching her with an 
enigmatic smile. 
	Her mind was nearly to a point of overload, conflicting emotions 
ready to tear her brain apart. He seemed so dangerous, yet at the same time 
she found herself unable to turn and run. Not after looking into his eyes.
	"You're trembling," he said, his fingers brushing away some of her 
light-blue hair away from her cheek. "Are you that frightened of me?"
	She vehemently shook her head, but her eyes gave the true 
emotions away. They remained fixated on his form.
	He smiled. "If I frighten you that much, then why have you 
returned night after night and dream after dream to this masquerade?"	
	"You brought me here," she responded, trying to voice authority.
	He chuckled, retreating from her a single step. "I only invite those 
who wish to be here," he stated. "Now ask yourself again: if you are so 
frightened of me, then why return at all?"
	She opened her mouth to give an answer, any answer. And then 
she faultered, memories of whispering his name returning to her. Her own 
body and mind were betraying her.
	He cast a glance around the corridor. "You should not be in here. 
This is not for maidens such as yourself. Here if you look for danger you 
will find it."
	"I--I found you," she stammered.
	His eyes seemed to light up as he reached into his jacket and 
produced the ocean mask. "How true, Ami-chan. So observant you 
are...I'm impressed."
	Her eyes darted down to the hand he extended, the light catching 
the glimmering fabric of his strange tuxedo. "Come," he said. "Let us dance 
together."
	Her breathing was coming in rapid gasps as she reached out for his 
hand, the feeling of such incredible warmth spreading through her body. He 
pressed in closer, taking her other hand and then standing as if to dance.
	He moved, leading her in a twirl. As she turned her head the room 
was suddenly the masquerade, and she was in amidst all the laughing and 
embracing dancers. Her eyes shifted up and gazed into piercing jade. 
	They danced together, her body wishing to press closer into his. 
She stopped herself mentally; this was neither the time nor the place. She 
hardly knew anything about him! She perhaps knew the young man's name 
and that was it.
	"Sumimasen," she said, trying to speak. "I--"
	"Shhhh," he whispered, placing a finger to her lips. "Don't speak. 
Dance."
	And so she danced with him through the symphony, entrapped and 
drowning in his jade eyes. So dark and alluring, seductively dangerous to 
look into. She felt herself trembling slightly under his gaze. They were 
drifting out to the outer ring of ballroom dancers, which she was thankful 
for. Her mind was having to fight a very aroused body for control.
	She was abruptly aware of a new presence within the masquerade. 
Her eyes darted over to something that emerged from an antechamber, or 
perhaps even from the very air.
	A long black cloak wrapped around its shoulders, draping over all 
its body yet not touching the floor. The fact that nothing else touched the 
ground gave way to this creature being in the essence of a ghost. The black 
cloak moved up into a hood that was draped over the ghost's head, tucked 
into the edges of a shining mask that resembled both new-fallen snow and 
polished pearl. Painted eyes and lips and other markings were outlined in 
black over the pale mask.
	There were no eyeholes, and still she could feel it's vision directed 
at her. Their dancing slowed and came to a stop as her wraith saw the 
newcomer.
	"Excuse me, please," he said, bowing to her.
	Words were never exchanged between him and the ghostly figure. 
Instead the ghost drew back and vanished as if passing through a wall of 
invisibility, and he sprang up from the floor, flying through the air until he 
landed upon the banister at the top of the curving staircase.
	A glance in her direction told her that he wished to be alone for the 
time. He had to do something, but what needed to be done within a 
Dreamworld? 
	She felt compelled to follow. 
	Fear came through the unknown, and the more she pulled down 
the enigma from his face, the less she had to fear. Perhaps then she could 
settle these conflicts with the emotions deep inside.
	Shadows caught the corners of her eyes, cloaks and suits almost 
gone around a corner, up beyond an archway or atop another floor. She 
was barely able to keep up with his pace; the young man moved as if he 
really was a wraith. The end finally came and she found herself once more 
in the atrium with the black torii.
	"What is he doing here?" she mused aloud to herself.
	He was no where in sight; her best guess was that he had stepped 
into the room beyond the gateway. But why would he need to go in there? 
The wraith himself had warned her to stay away from this place.
	And then an unearthly scream echoed from beyond the torii, one 
that burned into her mind and caused her to recoil in pure terror. For how 
long she stood near the torii, she would never know. Moments, minutes or 
eternities could have passed her by.
	Suddenly he stumbled out from the gateway, clutching his 
shoulder. Sweat was dripping from his face, soaked into his long strands of 
hair. The wraith grimaced as he struck the wall, pushing away from the 
stones and continuing his walk. He left behind a trail of crimson on the 
wall, and the mask of breathing ocean waters clattered to the floor.	
	"Meikyu!" she exclaimed, rushing to his aid.
	She tried to prop his left arm over her shoulders, that he might use 
her as a crutch. But he stumbled again, taking both of them down in a heap 
on the floor. He laughed as she fell on top of him, his face still partially 
hidden by hair and shadows.
	Puzzled eyes met his. "Daijobu?"
	He smiled. "Nothing that means death. Then again, to witness the 
edge of death is to experience the rush of pure life. But I thank you for 
your concerned sentiments."
	She found herself drowning inside his eyes, in that face still half 
covered by shadows. Her heart was pounding inside her chest. "Y-you're 
welcome," she managed to blurt out.
	"I thought I told you to stay in the ballroom," he remarked 
playfully.
	She laughed, shaking her head at him. "I didn't think you would try 
to get yourself killed."
	"Not while you are here with me, Ami-chan," he answered softly.
	She pushed away some of the hair on his cheeks, gasping at the 
revealed features. The shadows were slowly melting away now, his face 
becoming more clearer. Such a beautifully handsome face he had.
	Leaning forward, she gently pressed her lips against his. He made 
no resistance nor any advances. He simply let her kiss him, and they both 
felt the air crackle with exchange of magiks. Her own body was flooded 
with his touch.
	The same sensations that had flooded her when...when she had 
brought herself into estacy. That thought snapped her back into the atrium. 
She drew back, touching her lips. They still tingled as if his kiss was there. 
Her eyes widened as she felt herself blush in embarrassment. Why had she 
suddenly done this? She had been brazen and aggressive, something totally 
unlike her. She had forced her kiss upon him while he was weak and 
wounded!
	How could she face him?
	How could she face herself?
	"G-gomen," she whispered, and then raced down the corridor.
	Stifling a groan of both amusement and pain, the masquerade 
wraith propped himself against the wall. "You know what you're searching 
for, Mizuno Ami, but how much longer do we have to play like this until 
you accept it?"


	"Daijobu, Ami-chan?" came the odango-haired blonde's voice.
	She glanced up from the book left by the one called Meikyu. A day 
had passed by filled with lectures and lessons, but they had all seemed to 
fade away for her.
	She nodded, trying to hide whatever it was she was feeling. This 
bizarre fluttering of her heart, racing through her veins and clouding her 
mind. All she could think of were his piercing eyes, so alluring and 
dangerous. Oh, how she longed for that.
	She closed her legs tighter.
	"Ami-chan," the tall brunette said. "We know you too well. 
Something's running through your mind." The tall brunette gave a coy 
smile. "A boy, perhaps."
	"We could never be so fortunate for her," the dark-haired shrine 
girl muttered sadly. 
	It was just her and her friends inside the room now. The shrine 
protege had the duties of the Shinto temple, the raven angel and raven 
knight were out in another place, and the dark-haired prince had studies to 
attend to.
	There was no intimidation or a sense of distance. Here she was 
with friends; they must have gone through at one point in time what she 
was going through now. She wanted to ask them that they might 
understand--that she might understand herself--but forcing out the question 
came harder.
	"What is it?" the odango-haired blonde asked.
	The long-haired blonde grinned. "I knew it. Ami-chan's in love!"
	She blushed, laughing quietly and nervously. Her eyes darted from 
one girl to the next; there was no chance she could wiggle out of this one.
	"And you've been hiding it from us," the tall brunette chided. "For 
shame, Ami-chan. We thought you'd never get a boyfriend."
	This only elicited a deeper shade of embarrassed red across her 
already flushed cheeks. "He...he's from the Dreamworld," she finally 
managed to stammer out.
	"Aren't they all from there?" the long-haired blonde said with a 
dreamy smile. "So who is he? Is he cute?"
	"Of course he's cute, Minako-chan!" the odango-haired blonde 
exclaimed.
	"I...I think his name is Meikyu," she told them. "He's always hiding 
behind a mask that looks as if he trapped the oceans inside of it. But he's 
never once told me his name."
	Those thoughts returned to her: 'you remember, but you choose to 
forget'. Was it because she wasn't ready for love? Or was it that she was so 
shy and afraid about love?
	"His eyes," she said. "They were like piercing jade. I felt as if I was 
drowning in his gaze."
	"And what about his long hair?" the odango-haired blonde sighed.
	"Usagi!" the dark-haired shrine girl hissed, shooting the odango-
haired blonde a dirty look.
	She glanced at the fusama separating their room from the chillen 
outdoors, oblivious to their words. Once more she found herself longing 
for the masquerade ball and its host. He had told her that no one entered 
the palace unless they desired to--even in secret.
	The dark-haired shrine girl moved to open one of the sliding 
partitions a little more. A draft from the hallway swept into the room, 
forcefully lifting the cover of the top book on her pile. The pages were 
scattered and spilled out before her, moving with rapid succession until the 
tempest died and the pages stopped in their fury.
	And there before her was drawing of black ink with crimson 
markings. Standing out on the page was a young man dressed in a tuxedo, 
a long black cloak billowing out behind him. The rendering was incredibly 
lifelike, every last detail perfect in texture and appearance. 
	In his one hand the young man held a mask that bore familiar, 
crimson kanji. This mask captured half his face inside shadows, hiding it as 
his face had always been hidden to her. But his revealed eye: it was flashing 
of jade green. 
	This wasn't a part of the page. This was from magik.
	"Meikyu," she whispered.
	The labyrinth.
	An enigma.


	It was late in the moonlight hours as she glanced at herself in the 
mirror atop her vanity. Bangs of simmering blue hair dangled around the 
shape of her face, smooth and almost silken to the touch. She reached for 
the hairbrush and began to stroke it through those bangs.
	Her mind was still racing as she puzzled over all her senses had 
taken in. How well did she truly know this masquerade wraith? The raven 
knight had proven to once be a cruel demon; was Meikyu the same? Could 
she trust him with something as fragile as...as her love?
	"Baka," she chided herself, smiling uneasily. 
	It wasn't that she didn't love him. Yes, she felt attracted to him, but 
more as a mystery than a man. Nothing to do with his allure, his magik, or 
his eyes. Those jade eyes that seemed to pierce her soul, that swallowed 
her up in a cascade of liquid warmth causing her entire body to tingle.
	"Baka," she said again.
	And yet she couldn't stop the beating of her own heart, which was 
now beating faster at the thought of him. Her mind raced again, clouded 
over with memories of electrified skin on edge.
	She rubbed harder, faster, barely able to control her thoughts let 
alone her body. Sparks seemed to explode inside her mind, sending 
incredible shivers down her body that made her move all the more quicker. 
Suddenly she realized she was moaning and sighing, enhancing the feelings 
rippling through her. She had never heard her own voice like this before.
	And then he was there. Not physically but his presence seemed to 
be there with her. Magik that was not of her own gently blew past her in a 
draft from her open window, caressing her skin with a cool kiss of the 
wind. 
	She could hold back no longer; her moan became a stifled gasp as 
the wave of warm passion swept her body, mind and soul away. She had to 
clench her jaw shut to keep from crying out and waking her mother, her 
body shuddering violently, legs splayed apart. 
	For a long time afterwards she was breathing deeply, half aware of 
the world around her. Sweat glistened off her naked body as she stared up 
to the ceiling.
	"Baka," she whispered, closing her eyes and surrendering to a 
beautiful dream as her warm body lulled her into the estacy of passionate 
sleep.
	She was a fool for not seeing him sooner....


	Down the curved staircase she walked, eyes searching for the 
young man in the strange black garments and cloak, the one with the ocean 
waters as a mask. He was here somewhere, playfully jumping from one 
shadow to the next.
	But where amidst all these lovers was he?
	She glanced up at the railing to the second floor balcony. From 
there a long curved row of masked dancers watched the masquerade 
below, laughing and talking behind exotic facades.
	There was a separate balcony closer to the rows of arches on the 
far wall, set apart from the open landing. Stepping out from a series of 
doric archways was another couple, very much young and very much in 
love.
	The young man wore a dark tuxedo over a white dress shirt, a 
distinct white eyemask with sloping edges, and a tophat. White gloves 
tenderly held the elegant hands of a stunningly beautiful young girl. Long 
blonde hair flowed down around the girl's shimmering white folds of dress, 
strangely familiar odangos atop her head. 
	She watched as they cuddled in each other's arms, then leaning 
closer to kiss. Her own lips tingled, though she could not understand why. 
Intrigued she watched on, blushing and unable to tear her gaze away when 
the young woman pulled at the ends of the white gown.
	Her own breathing quickened and finally her eyes were torn away 
from the couple. Better to leave them alone than to become a voyeur. Her 
wandering gaze fixated on her reason for coming, her reason for the 
exploration of her own body.
	There he was, the masquerade wraith himself, standing at the top 
of the curving staircase looking down. The waters of his mask rippled 
underneath the glittering lights. He started down the stairs but paused 
halfway when he met with another couple, a tall sandy-blonde guy...or was 
it a woman behind the mask?...and a stunning woman with wavy aqua-
green hair.
	She steathily cut through the crowd, working her way to the far 
side of the ballroom dancers. Tonight he would need to be the one trying to 
catch a glimpse of her shadow. The idea thrilled her, sent her heart racing 
and her body glowing.
	Once more she caught sight of him between the dancers, still 
talking to that couple. Every one of them looked strangely familiar and yet 
she did not know how she recognized them. Another life perhaps? 
	She watched those eyes of jade brilliantly pierce the room from 
behind the mask and the long strangs of earthen brown hair. "Meikyu," she 
said quietly. "Who are you?" 
	Who was the soul behind the mask of the living ocean?
	"He's an assassin," came a voice behind her.
	She began to turn, surprised by another distinct voice in a sea of 
them that was not his. But firm hands gripped her shoulders, forcing her to 
look ahead.
	"Do not turn around," the voice hissed. "Do not let him think you 
know. His name is Meikyu, darkest of the raven angels. Our dreams are his 
trophies. He has deceived all those you have come to trust."
	"Who are you?" she asked, turning her head slightly. 
	Looking back at her was a dancer hidden behind a large face mask 
adorned as the grinning, shining skull of a large beast. "The souls of those 
doomed before you," the mask answered. "He seduced us and then trapped 
us inside the labyrinth, where we are unable to escape."
	She held her breath, every last foundation she had come to believe 
in over these last days being shaken. Why had she not listened to her own 
reason? This must have been the motive for such a dangerous smile he 
wore, for the reason she never seemed to be able to completely see his 
face.
	"Beware, young girl," the mask whispered. "Your dreams are the 
most beautiful of all here. You may be his next victim."
	Her eyes returned to the last place he had been, but now he was 
gone. To her far left she caught a flash of dark suit and billowing cloak. He 
was coming.
	She turned around, adrenaline starting to flood her system. The 
masked dancer was gone now; nothing was ever left to prove it had 
existed. The room was starting to blur around her, swirling with colours 
and masked faces laughing and embracing. Were they all doomed like her? 
Or were they all a part of his ruse?
	The strange black tuxedo darted between dancers on the far edge 
of the ballroom. He was closer now, and she was starting to panic. The 
shaded folds of her rippling blue gown looked like a hundred seas as she 
raced beneath an archway, the heels of her shoes clicking against the floor.
	Her pace came to an abrupt stop as she found herself in the 
fountain corridor, and it was deserted save her and one other figure, a mere 
silhouette. A ray of light seemed to glow to life, illuminating the standing 
shadow. There, perched on the edge of a rectangular fountain, was 
Meikyu. 
	She could see him smile, those piercing eyes going right into her 
soul. With a fury of ruffles and billows she spun around in the hopes of 
retreating back into the ballroom. The second her eyes looked back to the 
archway he was already standing beneath it.
	She froze, her breathing coming in rapid pants.
	Ever so slowly, taking his time, he closed the distance between 
them with footsteps that echoed across the empty corridor. The cloak 
fluttered all around him, starting to take on a breath of its own.
	"Something wrong?" he inquired. It seemed innocent, maybe even 
playful. But within his words she could hear the delight in knowing that she 
was scared.
	A part of her wanted to deny it, to shake her head. Instead she 
nodded, rationale once more managing to take control. She noted how his 
face seemed to delight in a secret unknown to her. In this moment he was 
all the more seductively terrifying. And yet she could not turn and flee, not 
after remembering his kiss. The kiss he had returned, the one she had 
initiated. She crawled up against the nearest wall, trying to bury herself into 
it.
	"Y-you're dangerous," she said.
	He laughed. "Oh, most certainly. To you most of all, Mizuno Ami. 
But for all the wrong reasons."
	"You...you're an assassin," she whispered, backed up as far as she 
could against the wall.
	He smiled, amused. "I'm one of many things, Lady Mercury. If you 
wish to call me by that title, who am I to protest? Though in truth I'm more 
a hunter than a killer for hire."
	"You've killed before?" she asked, feeling the adrenaline moving 
through her body like the crashing tides. This was not exhilaration; this 
time it was fear.
	He reached out with a hand, and she froze in watching it move 
closer to her face...and then press against the pillar beside her cheek. He 
leaned into her, his breath right next to her ears.
	"Not a creature in the Dreamworld can call themselves a soul with 
clean hands," he answered. "Even Silvermanes have shed blood. I, though, 
enjoy the thrill of the hunt."
	"Please," she said, on the verge of breakdown. "You're frightening 
me."
	His jade eyes seemed to lose their edge in that moment, glancing 
down to the floor. He withdrew from her, his face solemn. "If you wish to 
leave," he stated. "by my honour I will not interfere."
	He had given her the opening, and she seized it. She tried to run, 
and he let her scramble away from him. Yet there was no dark laughter at 
her or her situation. What seemed to fill the void was saddened silence...as 
if she could sense what he was feeling. Her pace slowed and she turned her 
head to look back.
	He was standing still, emotions hidden behind the mask of the 
living oceans. But there was a change in the mask; the waters were rippling 
not from the waves but from rainfall striking the surface.
	Her running slowed even more, her emotions conflicting with each 
other and waring against her thoughts. Was he truly this dangerous? Was 
the bone dancer merely of her own creation, her own fears?
	"Meikyu," she whispered.
	Suddenly her foot met with nothing and she tumbled forward with 
a startled cry. A black shadow opened up and swallowed her whole, the 
last image she saw was him, standing there and shouting out her name.
	"AMI!!"


	It was the most bizarre sensation she had ever felt before in her life. 
She was floating yet falling, the wind blowing back her hair and tresses of 
blue gown but not at a speed which might kill her upon impact.
	The black world around her grew lighter, small sparkles that 
resembled fireflies darting all around. The air grew deep purple and cloudy, 
and then she was falling amidst debris. Large chunks of what used to be 
staircases and archways and walls were lazily hovering all around her as she 
descended past them.
	Finally a room started to emerge, shades of dust and sand with 
intricate carvings lining everything. There appeared to be no true ceiling or 
floor as she found her feet touching solid surface. As gravity set in once 
more, she looked around and saw the hideously deformed extent of this 
realm.
	Stairs and arches were amok, sideways and upside-down and 
backwards. Each one seemed to slope a different angle yet perfectly 
intersecting with another. She could barely even tell which way was up; 
there were even stairs and passageways on the walls and the ceiling--
provided they were the true walls and ceiling.
	"Where...am I?" she exclaimed.
	The room was silent, her voice echoing across the stairs and 
doorways. But as her echoed voice died out, another took its place. One of 
unrushed footsteps.
	He was there in the chambers, perfectly attuned to whatever had 
warped its dimensions. Her eyes widened as slowly she tilted her head to 
stare up at him. The masquerade wraith smiled as he stretched out his arms 
to present himself, standing on an upside-down staircase. His hair, his suit 
and even his cloak all acted as if gravity were pushing invertedly.
	"Not bad, ne, Ami-chan?"
	With a swift leap he pushed off towards her, suddenly twisting 
around and descending. A perfect landing was made, and slowly he stood 
up before her.
	"This is what lays beyond the black torii; you can understand why I 
wished you to stay away from it." He held out his hand. "We should leave 
it now."
	She backed away. "How can I trust you?" she asked. 
	He smiled. "That's just it: you can't trust me. You can't trust 
anything in this place, not even yourself. Welcome to the labyrinth, where 
nothing could ever be as it seems. This is the true form of the masquerade."
	He had been toying with her all along! Her once fragile heart now 
burned with a desire for vengeance at this evil trick. "You wanted to lure 
me here," she said angrily, her fists shaking. "You want to steal my 
dreams."
	Now it was his turn to back away as with a flash of light and a loud 
shot she became the soldier of her bloodline.
	"The Sailor Senshi of Mercury," he stated, unfazed. "You look 
rather pretty in that battle fuku."
	"I won't forgive you for this!" she exclaimed, her voice rising. Her 
sudden hostility caused him to go on the defensive, his own powers starting 
to manifest in an aura.
	"Ami," he cautioned.
	A large vortex of water raged around her body, searching for a 
place to be directed at. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" She launched her 
attack, the water becoming a foaming projectile that crashed towards 
Meikyu like a flood. 
	He held his ground, eyes suddenly flashing brilliant jade as her 
furious tidalwave bared down upon him. A hand reached up for the mask 
and tore it off from his face, unleashing a geyser of foaming water from 
beneath it. This new torrent tore apart her own watery magik and then 
went after her.
	She cried out as she was lifted off the floor, sent down a flight of 
stairs as the waters dried out, leaving her unharmed but drenched. She 
coughed and sputtered as she slowly picked herself up off the ground.
	He was sauntering down the steps. "Now I wonder who started 
that little rumour about me?" To her surprise, he did not attack but 
extended a helping hand. "I trust," he said. "that we can talk things out. 
They say that if you must resort to violence then you've already lost."
	This marked the second time he offered his hand in help and not in 
hostility. For all his dangerous ways, this masquerade wraith seemed 
genuine in his concern for her. She glanced around the warped labyrinth; in 
such an unfamiliar dimension, he held the advantage over her.
	"How can I trust you?" she pressed.
	"Search your heart," he answered. "If it tells you to take my hand 
then do so. If it tells you to strike without mercy, then do so. The choice 
has been yours from the beginning you set foot inside my realm, Mizuno 
Ami."
	She stared up at him; his face was still half masked by shadows that 
were nowhere else but on him. Those jade eyes were still seductively 
dangerous, the exact trait that had first drawn her to him. The memory of 
the bone dancer returned, and now she had doubts of everything she had 
thought was worked out.
	But a choice had to be made.
	And so she made her decision.
	Reaching out for his hand, she slowly got to her feet. "What is this 
place?" she asked uneasily.
	"Tell me," he said. "In the story you heard me speak back at the 
library, did you ever hear of a Shadowdemon reaching my realm?"
	She shook her head.
	He glanced around the twisted chamber. "Well now you know 
why. This labyrinth beneath my palace was designed to ensnare and trap 
any creature of darkness that managed to approach. I've lost count of how 
many there are lurking inside this maze. And needless to say most of them 
don't like me very much. They are those I live to kill."
	"Na ni?" she exclaimed. Her emotions were being thrown around 
again, and she found herself wishing to be the calm and detached genius 
she once was. If only she could bury her feelings deep inside; perhaps then 
she could make sense of all this.
	"The labyrinth is my hunting ground," he stated. "It is where I stalk 
and kill the Shadowdemons." A diabolical smile came across his face. "I 
live for the thrill of the hunt. That makes me all the more dangerous...all the 
more the only one who could safely come in after you, Ami-chan. I know 
the labyrinth's tricks."
	Abruptly he spun around, his stance being highly defensive towards 
her and aggressive at the chambers. Eyes narrowed and he paused in his 
breathing.
	"They're coming," he whispered.
	She gave him a quizzical look. "How do you know?"
	"My garments are of rare fabric," he said. "It senses their presence, 
and thus so do I. Call it a stolen sixth sense, but necessary if I wish to hunt 
within the labyrinth." He stepped forward, almost oblivious to her presence 
now. "I should have known something was up when I saw that damned 
bone mask in the ballroom. This one moves differently from the others, 
especially if it can pull others into the labyrinth." 
	He smiled. "Clever, aren't you? Come on; show me where you 
are."
	"Meikyu," she said urgently, pulling him back into the chambers.
	He turned. "Ami, things are about to get very nasty. I can't 
guarantee your safety if you remain in this realm poisoned with blak magik. 
You have to leave this place now." The masquerade wraith titled his head 
up to what might have been called up. "Yurei Knights!" he barked.
	Four of those robed ghosts appeared, each one at a corner around 
her. "Get out," he stated, turning to her. "This is between me and the 
demons. My knights will show you the way."
	She glanced from one to the next. "What are they?"
	He stepped in closer to her, taking her hand. "Former 
Shadowdemons, having pledged their allegiance to me. They do not have 
the freedom like Kishi once did in his dragon realm; these ones I don't trust 
as much. But they are released from the labyrinth to serve me; those masks 
keep their full powers at bay." 
	Suddenly a cold breeze swept through the chamber of stairs, 
tugging at her ocean-blue pleated skirt and his midnight cloak. The entire 
room pulsated with a new aura, brilliant hues of crimson and violet 
crackling from the walls and inside the archways.
	Ami threw her gaze up to the stairway ceiling and gasped as an 
enormous explosion of light streaked down towards them. "Look out!" she 
shouted.
	He never even moved to look; he moved to react, seizing her by 
the arms and catapulting the both of them off the ledge as the explosion 
rocked the entire chamber, smashing through the platform they had just 
been standing on.
	With a quick twist in midflight, they were righted in their fall and 
tumbled feetfirst onto another set of stairs. Smoke, dust and chunks of 
stone rained down all around them.
	"Shimatta," Meikyu muttered, coughing.
	"Are they dead?" she asked, catching her breath.
	He shook his head. "No; just banished from the labyrinth. Damned 
Shadowdemons are growing smarter and more powerful as the centuries 
wear on."
	Taking her hand he pulled her to her feet and led them both up the 
set of stairs until they reached the next platform. 
	"You fall rather gracefully," he remarked.
	She smiled shyly.
	Then he turned, staring at the passageway behind them. As she 
turned to gaze at it with her own eyes, the archway became filled with a 
black mist that filtered out from the cracks in the stones. The clouds 
swirled together to give birth to a human form--one that resembled Meikyu 
except where earthen brown hair once was midnight black replaced, and 
the shadow's eyes were grey and lifeless of all but evil. In place of his mask 
of ocean waves, there was the grinning skull of a hideous beast.
	"Hunter," it said with an evil smile, stepping out from the shadows 
of the black mist.
	His eyes narrowed. "These are not the rules of the game. Hiding as 
a dancer in my masquerade, and then bringing her into the labyrinth only 
summons my wrath and ends your existence."
	He stretched out his arm, hand reaching to grasp a hidden object. A 
long and beautiful staff appeared, fingers wrapping around the centre of the 
shaft.
	Suddenly from the tip of the staff an explosion of churning blue 
water spewed out, twisting and swirling around itself to form a long and 
lethal, tapering blade that glistened like ice. The staff had become a scythe.
	"Truly a frightening weapon," the Shadowdemon mocked.
	"Only one who has never seen my scythe would say that," he 
snapped.
	"This is no longer your domain, raven angel," the demon hissed. 
"We now rule this labyrinth. And your threats mean nothing more than 
words to be silenced!"
	The shadow threw out its hands, a violet pulse erupting from its 
palms and striking both of them. She screamed in pain, echoing his own 
cries as they were sent hurling over the edge of the platform.
	Suddenly she struck a slick surface, cold and hard, grimacing as she 
slid across it. She lifted her head off what had once been midair now 
become a floor of stone.
	He toppled past her across the new level, the scythe flying out from 
his grip and spinning across the surface. The second it stopped moving, the 
surface broke and the weapon was lost. Both of their eyes widened as the 
chasm began to open up with a hideous rumble, stone cracking into pieces 
which plummeted into a darkness far below them. 
	The masquerade wraith scrambled backwards as the jagged cracks 
streaked towards him, seeking him out as chunks of the thick rock fell into 
the darkness. But for as fast as he could move, the shattering floor was 
faster. His body started to slide as the stones beneath him tilted 
downwards. 
	"Meikyu!" she shouted, leaping to her feet and lunging towards 
him. He grabbed onto her outstretched hand, his other still trying to pull 
himself back over the side of the floor. And then two jade eyes widened in 
horror.
	"What is it?" she asked.
	"Get down!" he shouted, his grip on her palm tightening. He 
yanked her off her feet, throwing her over the side. She screamed as she 
fell, yet fell only as far as the length of their arms; Meikyu was still firmly 
gripping her hand.
	She tilted up her head, gasping as she saw the Shadowdemon pull 
it's massive blade-like claws out from the floor, from the stone exactly 
where she had been standing on only a heartbeat ago.
	The demon raised its hand to rake claws down upon both of them. 
The wraith glanced down at her with a smile fought through pain and dying 
strength.
	"Can you kick?" he asked.
	She nodded and braced herself as he abruptly flung her up over the 
edge of the ice. She twisted her body, both legs straight as they connected 
with the demon's chin. It's head snapped backwards and it toppled over.
	"Daijobu?" she asked, leaning over the precipice.
	He grinned. "I'll be right with you."
	Pulling himself out from the gorge of darkness, he wrapped his arm 
around her waist and then leaped towards a flight of stairs off the platform.
	With a loud growl the Shadowdemon struggled to right its human 
form. "Kon chikusho," it hissed.
	He shook his head. "I created this labyrinth. I'm not about to die in 
it when my masquerade still calls for me to dance with my lover."
	She found her heart racing at the mention of love. Had it been what 
had drawn her here and pushed her away at the same time? There could be 
no more denial or fear as to what she felt. She was in love.
	The demon chuckled viciously. "And thus you have all the more to 
lose, raven angel."
	Suddenly he was thrown backwards, striking the wall as he was 
torn from her grip. She whirled as she saw his body crash into stone, held 
in place as a cage of shining ice grew around him. He pounded furiously on 
the clear surface, trying to break free yet without any sound despite shouts 
and punches.
	Then the sound of slow footsteps reached her ears. She turned 
towards the demon, who was walking up the stairs. The Shadowdemon 
wagged a finger at Meikyu. "No use, guardian. You're trapped in our 
labyrinth of mirrors now. See if you can break free before it's too late. Let 
us restore your voice, that we might hear you beg for mercy."
	She was practically forgotten in this vendetta; as relieved as she 
felt, it burned her to feel a mere pawn in this deadly game.
	His voice returned, the masquerade wraith exploded in fury. "You 
bastard!" he shouted, opening up his palm to unleash another volley of 
fierce water magik. Yet it only sprayed back around him, held at bay by the 
powerful demon magik. "You so much as touch her, and I will see to it that 
your remains be scattered across the labyrinth for eternity."
	"We would love to see you try," the Shadowdemon sneered.
	Meikyu's eyes narrowed, and for a moment she saw the true dark 
side of his soul. The thrill of the hunt was taking control. "Is that a 
challenge?" he asked, a smile curling around his lips.
	The bone mask chuckled. "Hai."	
	He smiled fully now, thought not at her but the creature of evil. 
That glint was in his eyes. "Baka," he muttered, raising a flute to his lips 
and sounding a single note.
	The ice's reflection shattered before him. His lips played one more 
bar of that note, lingering as the shards beneath his feet shattered into 
splinters. Slowly he lowered the flute from his lips, cold eyes of jade green 
levelling to the mimic.
	"That," he stated coldly. "was what I wanted to hear." The flute 
disappeared, replaced with the scythe. 
	The demon bellowed, one arm turning into a scythe of its own. But 
the blade was of raging fire.
	She stood there, unable to do anything but watch as the two 
viciously converged and attacked, their scythes becoming mere blurs of 
streaking light as sparks exploded all around them. Waring magiks echoed 
with each strike, shaking the chamber of stairs.
	Abruptly the demon leaped aside, twisting its body so that its feet 
touched the side wall. And there it remained, perpendicular to the wraith--
and they still fought as if oblivious to this new development. Mekiyu 
catapulted himself into the air, attacking now upside-down. The two 
lunged for each other, hovering for a moment in the air as they exchanged 
blows. And then they fell, still fighting even when their feet touched stone.
	They drew back, brandishing their scythes with deadly precision. 
The masquerade wraith swung his around his face, holding the weapon 
with his one hand. He was panting hard breaths as he glared at the demon, 
blood dripping from the cut across his forehead.
	"What are you?" he demanded in a low voice.
	"We are the entity of all the nightmares you have trapped within 
these walls," the demon snarled, wiping away from its cheek a streak of its 
own black blood from its black heart. "Together we are one, and together 
you become the prey."
	Suddenly the demon lunged for him, raking down the scythe. His 
scream became hers as the tsunami scythe was torn from his hands, blood 
spraying out from the gash in his arm. The demon was merciless, spinning 
around to deliver a second blow.	
	Meikyu cried out as he fell, the gash right across his chest. The 
blow had barely missed gouging a hole through his body, but the raging 
fireblade had still left a wound, scarlet rivers running down his suit. His jade 
green eyes were cold and grim as the fireblade was levelled with his neck.
	"You will surrender the magik of the masquerade dancers to us," 
the Shadowdemon stated. "And then we will skin you and drag your body 
to our Empress."
	"I thought seduction was her forte," he countered. "Why leave me 
in pieces when you could make me one of your own?"
	The bone mask leaning in closer, eyeless sockets burrowing into 
him with an evil gaze. With a savage gesture, the demon's claws ripped the 
cloak from his back. Moments later the hardened tip of a boot smashed 
itself into Meikyu's chest.
	"Because we want to make you our cloak."
	Something inside her snapped, and no longer was she rooted to the 
stone, a mere watcher. She opened her palms, summoning the magik of 
water, calling upon all the power of her planetary guardian.
	"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
	The Shadowdemon whirled as the geyser struck, slicing the attack 
in half with a clean stroke of its fiery scythe. All its attention was upon her, 
and she cringed beneath the evil in those eyes.
	"Now," the Shadowdemon laughed, its eyes flashing. "We wish to 
see how pretty of a dreamer you really are, Mizuno Ami."
	She held her breath; there was no way she could fight this creature 
in hand to hand combat, or even with magik against magik. She knew that 
she was no match. But she had another way of fighting.
	The question was did she have time to save them both?
	The visor spread across her face, the handheld computer appearing 
in her hands. Fingers moved with rapid speed in processing and collecting 
any data. She kept a solemn face, hiding the emotions; this was not the time 
for them. Now her most precious talent would be their sole was of 
surviving.
	She sucked in her breath as the computer revealed no way out; 
they were sealed in. "No," she whispered, still hoping for an escape.
	"Such bravery," the demon chuckled, drawing closer. "We had no 
idea you were this devoted to him."
	"Ami!" he shouted, struggling to rise to his feet. "Get out of here! 
Forget about me!"
	For a moment her eyes lifted from the screen of her computer, 
focusing on him. "I can't forget," she said quietly. "I never could."
	The computer was registering this creature in front of her as a 
possible life form. Hundreds of faces were hidden behind the bone-mask of 
the beast, all pooled together. 
	"Masaka!" she exclaimed. What was before her seemed impossible; 
the Shadowdemons, all their own masters, were bound within that body. 
Immortals had stolen a mortal shell to harvest their combined power. This 
thing was in human form, all the dark voices of the countless demons 
screaming for control inside the body. 
	"Ami!" Meikyu shouted, collapsing as he tried to stumble towards 
her. "Get out of the labyrinth or you'll die!"
	A stray memory from the past came into her mind, one from a 
story told by the long-haired blonde in her and the raven knight's darkest 
hour. The Shadowdemon there had maintained its figure of night, scoffing 
at the frailty of the mortal body. The only reason that demon had been 
destroyed was because of the deadly power of the Hellion Serpynt.
	But this one was different.
	Inside the labyrinth Meikyu had created, the Shadowdemons alone 
couldn't withstand his power. But what they had done was merge their 
powers to alter the labyrinth; they were now in control, but only achieved 
this by becoming one in body.
	It could bleed when wounded.
	This thing could be killed like any other mortal...and yet the power 
attained by assuming this human form was immense. There would be no 
guarantees that any attack would penetrate its barriers.
	The gleam of the tsunami scythe caught her eyes; it was only a step 
away. She grabbed hold of the scythe and lifted it as high as she could. The 
weight of the weapon was surprisingly heavy, and she could barely get it up 
by her head. Her eyes widened as the demon leaped up before her, striking 
her across the cheek, trails of blood left down her face and on its claws.
	The scythe slid across the floor, teetering over the edge of the 
platform. For a heartbeat it was balanced and then fell, caught only at the 
last moment by Meikyu. Pulling out the weapon, he crawled over to her.
	"What are you trying to prove?" he panted as he cradled the scythe.
	She smiled, struggling to right herself. "Strike its bone mask," she 
whispered. "This creature is mortal now, and can be killed."
	"We destroy all the horde's power at once," he agreed. "But we 
can't get past its defenses." He scowled. "Chikusho! If only I had an 
opening!"
	She watched as his gaze flicked from anger to concern as she 
fought to bring herself to stand. "Watch for the opening," she said.
	She had to put her fears and doubts aside; if there was any moment 
to trust in this mysterious soul, then it was now. If she was wrong, she 
would pay with her life. They both would.
	"Ami-chan, no!" he exclaimed.
	A sudden strike from the Shadowdemon sent him toppling over the 
side and down a flight of stairs. Gone from her view, she realized that she 
was alone. There was no chance even her best attack could stand up to this 
creature's powers. But she had to try, to give Meikyu the opening. She had 
to trust him.
	Slowly she rose to her feet, fighting against her weakened 
condition. Holding out her hands to the demons bound in human flesh, she 
tried for another attack.
	"Mercury--"
	The demon's fingers wrapped tightly around her throat, choking the 
very breath out of her lungs. She was raised into the air, her feet dangling 
off the floor. One of her hands gripped the demon's arm, trying to release 
her windpipe.
	"Ami!" she heard a voice scream.
	"Meikyu," she whispered hoarsely, grimacing from the burning pain 
in her lungs.
	The demon's laughter echoed inside her mind. "And so it ends," it 
snarled. "Where is your precious love now?"
	Her other arm rose up, shaking as she fought to stay conscious. 
Palm opened and then came between her face and the demon's mask. 
Through half-shut eyes she managed to salvage any strength she had left, 
invoking what could be her last summon of magik.
	"Shining...Aqua Illusion!"
	The skull became warped as the jawbone opened wide and let out 
an enraged scream as the freezing ice struck it at point blank range. The 
nightmare personified stumbled backwards, twisting as the ice tried to 
burrow into its head. In its rage, the Shadowdemon clamped down around 
her throat, threatening to crush it completely. She gasped, searing heated 
pain exploding through her body. Shades of red and yellow smothered her 
vision.
	Suddenly there he was, the tsunami blade raised over the 
masquerade wraith's head as he viciously swung it towards her. Blue eyes 
widened as the gleaming blade arced past her face, narrowly grazing her 
cheek. But she was still alive.
	"SHIN'NE!!!" he bellowed, burying the blade.
	With a scream she was released, collapsing to the floor as the 
raging blade of the scythe smashed through the skull mask. The jawbone 
shattered, flung into the air as the eyeholes were crushed and imploded. 
Thick black ooze spurted out from the ruptured bone, spraying across his 
face and suit.
	"Impossible!" the demon host wailed.
	Meikyu's grip on the scythe shaft tightened. "That's why you never 
take on mortal form," he hissed. "To hell with your powers if you can't live 
to wield them!"
	He savagely pulled out the blade, dragging with it a tangled, 
pulsating mass of black. The Shadowdemon's body was still standing, 
twitching and its feeble howls lifted up to the height of the chamber of 
stairs.
	She found her vision returning to focus, and lifted her head to 
witness the final demise of the demon as he spun the scythe and made one 
fatal slash that tore the creature's head from its shoulders. The remains of 
the shattered skull and its head were locked in a horrified scream as it 
soared through the air.
	But that was not the end.
	He whirled, eyes tracking the severed head. And then he raised the 
scythe over his own head, the powers of the ocean's wrath swarming 
around his body. She rose up, her own body charged by a watery magik 
she shared with him.
	"Leviathans!" he shouted. 
	His magik exploded to bath the room in a fierce blue hue. Foam 
and waves rippled up stairways, around archways and snaked their way 
through the air, the ends of the watery tendrils taking shape into a vicious, 
snarling faces. These were the faces of the leviathans.
	Her own health and vibrancy had returned to her as she breathed 
the windfall of his magik. Palms open, she stretched out her arms and 
unleashed a mutual attack. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
	And their twin magiks joined together to form an attack that 
merged together with two raging tidalwaves. One seeing, evil eye from the 
Shadowdemon's skeletal mask widened in terror as the flood cascaded 
down in a raging torrent of leviathans.
 	The creature was torn to shreds as the leviathans feasted on its 
flesh. With one final eruption the leviathans fell upon themselves and 
became a massive geyser that quickly petered out, leaving a gentle rainfall 
over the entire chamber of stairways.
	Their energy exhausted, both fighters fell onto their knees, battered 
but survivors. He pushed himself next to her, and they leaned into each 
other. "I thought I told you to get out of the labyrinth," he said with a weak 
smile, caressing her bloodstained cheek.
	She laughed, shaking her head at him. "I didn't think you would try 
to get yourself killed." Fingers touched the new mask taking form on his 
face, that of crimson blood. Already the rainfall was washing it away.
	"Not while you are here with me, Ami-chan," he answered softly.
	But there was no time for peace; the entire structure shuddered 
violently, sending down a torrent of dust with the rain. He curled himself 
over her to shield her from any falling stones. Indeed debris was crashing 
down all over the chambers.
	"Meikyu," she whispered. "Look."
	Her eyes widened as she stared out to the vast expanse of the 
chambers of stairways. It was folding in upon itself. Stairs were ripped 
from their platforms, crumbling apart and crashing to what might have been 
the floor far below. A severed archway plummeted past their platform, 
nearly taking both of them with it.
	"The labyrinth's collapsing!" he exclaimed. "Damned demons made 
it symbiotic when they merged; they go, and it goes too."
	"Where's the torii?" she said. The black gateway was their only 
known exit out from this nightmarish maze. 
	He pointed to a platform high above their heads where the torii 
could be seen looming over them. And then a second later the gateway 
shattered, exploding down black remnants of the portal connecting realms. 
She buried her head into his chest as fragments of the torii crashed onto 
their platform.
	"They sealed off our way out," he said quietly. Neither one had any 
more strength left to even stand, and they turned to meet the gaze of the 
other. "We're not going to make it," he said, trying to hide the tears.
	His hand gently touched hers, clasping palms and lacing fingers. 
The blood on his face was now covered in dust. "Gomen, Ami-chan. I'm 
sorry it had to be this way."
	Another series of staircases collapsed, sending a platform and its 
archway smashing into another set of stairs. A cloud of smoke nearly 
engulfed them, and the labyrinth shuddered in its death throes. Yet in that 
moment the convulsions of the chamber and the downpour of rubble and 
dust seemed to fade away as she stared into his eyes.
	"Hold me," she whispered, closing her eyes as a tear fell down her 
cheek.
	"I swear I won't leave you," he whispered into her ear. "I'll protect 
you until the end comes for us both. I love you, Ami-chan."
	She felt warm in his embrace despite her own body trembling in 
fear. Nothing else mattered now to her; all she wanted was to die with the 
soul whose piercing jade eyes and dangerous smile she had fallen in love 
with. 
	"Meikyu," she cried.
	And then the deafening rumbles were drowned out by a loud shout:
	"What in the hell are you two just standing there for?!"
	She turned her head and caught a glimpse of the bartender as a suit 
and silver cloak swept them up moments as the platform once beneath their 
feet was reduced to collapsing stones. She was flying now in the 
bartender's arms. They landed upon another stable platform, the silver 
cloak of the Wanderer fluttering around them. She simply stared at their 
guardian while Meikyu sighed in relief.
	"Arigato, Karasu-san," he said gratefully.
	She stared at the Wanderer in surprise. "Karasu?" she exclaimed. 
Then maybe there was hope for escape!
	"At your service," Karasu said with a quick bow. "Now if you don't 
mind, I can't hold my illusionary portal into this place for much longer."
	A loud tear through the air caused her head to tilt, and she saw a 
large piece of severed staircase plunging right towards them, threatening to 
crush them all.
	"Brace yourself!" Meikyu said, trying to shield her.
	And then a new shout echoed across the savage destruction:
	"World Shaking!"
	A brillant sphere of glowing orange smashed into the chunk of 
stairway, reducing it to mere dust. Her head snapped around and she saw a 
very familiar warrior in a similar battle fuku like hers.
	"Sailor Uranus!" she exclaimed.
	"Dammit, Karasu, we don't have all night!" the sandy-blonde 
snapped.
	The tall sandy-blonde whirled as another piece of stone archway 
swung towards her, but that rock was blown apart by a new attack of 
lightening magik. The sandy-blonde gave a wry grin as the tall brunette 
dropped down alongside.
	"Not bad, Mako-chan," the sandy-blonde remarked.
	"Come on!" Karasu exclaimed, gathering them both up and taking 
a second flying leap across the growing gorge, adeptly bounding from 
stone to falling stone.
	The Wanderer handed her over to the sandy-blonde, and took 
Meikyu in his own grip. "I can't carry them both through this debris field."
	She was still too weak to use her own strength, and allowed herself 
to be gathered up in the arms of the sandy-blonde. It didn't matter how they 
knew she was here.
	The trio leaped out into the path of the plummeting stones, 
dodging some and catapulting themselves off others. The tall brunette gave 
a startled shout as a piece of stairway tried to crush her. Crackling blue fire 
swatted the staircase aside, and the raven knight leaped out from atop 
another falling stone. 
	"The portal's this way!" Kishi stated. "And it's not going to hold for 
much longer."
	Her eyes were slowly going closed, her strength finally failing her. 
The last thing she remembered seeing was an end to the toppling labyrinth, 
a circular portal with all her friends at the other side, sending out attacks of 
magik to clear the path.
	"Meikyu," she whispered.
	And then the darkness of sleep.


	When her blue eyes opened once more, it was in the company of 
friends in the atrium outside the labyrinth. The black torii was toppled over, 
dashed to pieces no doubt by the maze's implosion.
	He was there too amidst all her friends, looking very battered but 
smiling as his jade green eyes met hers. A dark cloak and a beautiful white 
mask drifted past her, and her entire body tingled in healing. Another Yurei 
Knight was tending to him as well, the blood washed clean from his face, 
the gashes across his chest and arm sealed and purified.
	"Daijobu, Ami-chan?" the long-haired blonde asked.
	She nodded.
	"Ami-chan!" the odango-haired blonde cried, leaning against her. "I 
though I wouldn't see you or Meikyu-san again!"
	She smiled softly at the concerned tears of the odango-haired 
blonde; so passionate the girl was about friends, not wishing to see anyone 
hurt.
	"You two gave us quite a scare," the dark-haired shrine girl said. 
	The raven angel nodded. "Imagine our concern when you both 
disappeared, and then Michiru's mirror picked up a new evil force inside 
the palace."
	"The Shadowdemons merged together to seize the power of the 
labyrinth," he explained. "They stole Ami from the ballroom, and then 
attacked us both when I went in after her."
	"Are they dead?" the dark-haired shrine girl asked.
	"Judging from what's left of the labyrinth, I'd say they're quite 
dead," the Wanderer remarked, casting a glance back at the crumbled torii.
	She looked from each face to the next, finally resting her gaze upon 
the masquerade wraith. And then she realized she had indeed seen them 
before amidst the ballroom dancers. "Everyone knew?" she asked.
	He nodded. "They have been here all the time to watch over you, 
Ami-chan. They seem just as protective of you as I am."
	"You should have seen him when he found out you were in his 
labyrinth," the tall, sandy-blonde said. "He was ready to smash through the 
gates of hell to get you back."
	He blushed slightly at all the attention.
	"From the looks of the labyrinth he already did," the dark-haired 
prince said.
	"He was very determined about bringing you out," Kishi agreed.
	"What about your actions when Minako was killed at the 
pyramids?" the shrine protege inquired.
	The raven knight nodded. "Hai. I acted in the same fashion, but 
there I had nothing else to lose. Meikyu had everything: his kingdom, his 
beloved, and his own soul."
	"It still wouldn't have been enough if all of you came to protect us," 
he stated.
	"Friends take care of each other, ne?" the tall brunette said with a 
playful wink. "You asked us to help bring you and Ami-chan together, and 
we did just that."
	"Not that Ami-chan didn't need all that much convincing," the 
odango-haired blonde remarked, turning to her. "You always knew he was 
the guy for you, Ami-chan. You just needed us to help give you a push in 
that direction."
	"After all," the long-haired blonde added. "All Roman roads lead 
somewhere!"
	"That's `all roads lead to Rome', Minako-chan," the raven knight 
sighed as everyone stifled their laughter.
	The masquerade wraith got up and walked over to her, extending 
his hand as the others rose to their feet. "Come again tomorrow night," he 
said, helping her up. "I'll be waiting."
	She stroked his cheek. "I'll be there, Meikyu."
	"Awwww!" everyone sighed romantically.
	He burst out laughing while she in turn blushed prettily. Eyes of 
seductive, piercing jade looked down at her. "Would you object if I 
embarrassed you with a kiss in front of your friends?"
	She responded by pulling his lips down to hers, giving him a 
passionate kiss. She broke off, chuckling at the surprised look across his 
face. The Wanderer whistled approval while the odango-haired blonde and 
the long-haired blonde cheered her on. 
	"How's that for an answer?" she inquired with a sly grin.
	"I think he's turned the shy little mouse into a purring kitten," the 
aqua-haired woman remarked to the sandy-blonde.
	"That's not such a bad thing, is it?" the tall sandy-blonde replied.
	Slowly, regretfully, he drew away from her. "Until the next sunset, 
Ami-chan. I await you then." 
	"Oyasumi nasai, Meikyu," she said with a small wave.
	He faded like a ghost, the four Yurei Knights attending to him as 
he disappeared. The grand halls of the floating palace started to also fade to 
black as the realm of the waking hours approached.
	She smiled as she watched him go, sighing contently.
	"Ne, Ami-chan," the odango-haired blonde inquired. "How did it 
feel to kiss him?"
	"Hai!" the long-haired blonde insisted. "We want details, Ami-
chan! Details!"
	She blushed, giggling nervously as all her female friends looked to 
her direction. "Ano...."
	Suddenly the odango-haired blonde, the long-haired blonde, the 
dark-haired shrine girl and the tall brunette had clustered around her, 
demanding details.
	"Ami-chan!" they chorused.


	The Moonlight Masquerade was raging on with dancers, laughter 
and wine as the clear sky and crystal ocean sparkled all around.
	From his place, the bearer of the mask of living waters watched the 
gala. "She's staying up late again," he remarked, leaning against the bar, 
fingering an empty wine glass. His jade eyes stared out at the other souls 
present; most of the ballroom was already filled with revellers for one more 
night of dancing and dreaming.
	"She's always been a night owl," the Wanderer replied, pouring 
another glass of wine at a couple's requst. "And this is probably her revenge 
for having everyone conspiring together to get her a boyfriend."
	He smiled at the remark, removing his mask. "One must be careful 
with such a fragile heart," he said. "I didn't want her to realize that 
everyone she trusts was playing a part in this, or else she might have pulled 
away. Coincidence was the best way to play the game."
	"Too many coincidences make for a conspiracy," the dark-haired 
prince stated, drawing up beside him.
	He cocked an eyebrow. "And too many conspiracies make for 
paranoia, Mamoru. No, this was best. This was for Ami-chan, and we all 
agreed upon this approach, that there be none on our part." He gave a 
delicious smile. "And besides, this was all the more fun. She sees me as an 
attractive and seductive yet dangerous individual. I shouldn't disappoint 
her."
	The Wanderer sighed. "Yare yare. I think you're enjoying this too 
much, Meikyu."
	The dark-haired prince's expression grew somber. "Walk with me, 
Meikyu," the dark-haired prince asked.
	They kept a simple but brisk pace, walking up the stairs and away 
from the ears and eyes of the other dancers. The second floor held only a 
few scattered couples, too involved in their romance to notice them.
	"Are you sure it is her you love?" the dark-haired prince asked 
cautiously. "Her, and not the princess you fell in love with so many 
centuries ago?  Who is it you truly love?"
	He smiled to himself. "I love them both, Mamoru-san. I love Ami-
chan for who she is, and the memories her face brings back to me. That is 
why I am putting on such a brilliant masquerade for everyone. If this is 
love, then I wish for her to court me. After all the female of the species is 
more deadly than the male."
	"In your case an exception might be made," the dark-haired prince 
wryly said.
	He gave another smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
	He stared down at the masquerade dancers, laughing and loving in 
each other's embrace. From his viewpoint he could pick out the ones he 
had drawn to this place. Those who were her friends, who saw him to be a 
friend also.
	His gaze shifted over to the dark-haired prince. But the prince was 
gone, slipped away much like he was prone to doing as well. All that 
remained was a single red rose left where the prince had once stood, a few 
crimson petals caught in the breeze and scattered across the expanse of the 
ballroom.
	Meikyu shook his head. "Quit showing off, Mamoru. Who do you 
think taught you that trick in your dreams?"
	Jade eyes caught sight of ripples of shimmering shades in blue. 
Wearing that beautiful, billowy dress she walked into the ballroom. Though 
it was not at the top of the curved staircase; instead she walked out from 
the fountain corridor, her blue hair adorned with barrettes of shimmering 
pearls and silver dolphins.
	He smiled as once again the advantage was his in spotting her first, 
and made his way to the staircase, adjusting his mask. But he paused as a 
familiar face passed him by.
	"You're leaving already, Karasu?" he asked.
	The Wanderer nodded. "You and Ami-chan are together, and now 
I must go on my own for a while again. I do thank you, though, for inviting 
me to this little party. The rest was a welcomed one."
	"Iie. I should be thanking you," he countered. "You came at my 
request when you didn't have to, and then saved our lives back in the 
labyrinth. How can I repay you?"
	The Wanderer glanced out to the dancers, smiling at the sight of 
the dark-haired shrine girl and the shrine protege laughing as they twirled 
together amidst the masked dancers.
	"Just seeing Rei-chan's smile is payment enough," Karasu 
answered. "Hers, and the smiles of the other girls. There is something very 
special about each of them, Meikyu; take care of Ami-chan."
	"Hai," he said. "You have my word."
	"Just one last question," the Wanderer added. "What do you do 
with the Shadowdemons you slay?"
	He paushed, turning only his head to give a dark smile. "Ever 
wondered what this suit was made of?"
	"I swear you have Mystwolf blood running through your body," 
Karasu remarked, crystal blue eyes rolling behind the shades. "In this 
respect you're akin to their tastes. Sayonara, Meikyu."
	And then a dancer crossed between them, the Wanderer choosing 
to disappear just then.
	"Sayonara, Kageno Karasu," he said quietly. "Pleasant dreams 
wherever you go."
	His gaze returned to the princess of the waters and oceans as she 
slowly made her way up the flight of stairs. They met halfway, hand in 
hand.
	"You made it," he sighed. "I was beginning to wonder if you would 
ever fall asleep."
	"Gomen," she replied with a shy smile. "I had to study for a test 
and lost track of time."
	"We have all the time in the world," he answered. "Eternity is a 
long time, Ami-chan." He curiously appraised her flushed and excited 
condition. "Are you sure you were just studying before you crossed over?"
	She blushed at that, a bright shade of rouge.
	He chuckled. "Kawaii, Ami-chan. Kawaii."
	She found herself entrapped by his eyes once more, a tingling 
warmth flooding her body. So this was love; for so long she had denied 
herself this feeling, buried it deep down. Now it had surfaced, and she 
never wanted this feeling to go away.
	She rested her head against his shoulder. "My only regret is that 
when this dream ends I'll have to wait until tomorrow night to see you 
again."
	"Why wait?" he countered. "I'll escourt you home after the 
masquerade."
	Her eyes widened in surprise; to her knowledge Meikyu hadn't 
been granted access into Earth like Sora and Kishi once had. "How?" she 
asked.
	"I was freed of my duties as a guardian angel long ago," he 
explained. "When my kingdom became a palace floating on an ocean, I 
found myself able to cross over to your world, but never found a reason to 
go there. Yet I stayed here to watch over your family's dreams. That is why 
I could appear to you in the library."
	"But the labyrinth?" she pressed. Why would Shadowdemons try 
to attack a realm of the Dreamworld declared off limits?
	He laughed at her innocent curiousity. "It's the temptation, Ami-
chan; an opening into an untouchable realm. After all, I do live for the--"
	"The thrill of the hunt," she finished, nodding. "I guessed that." 
	He took a step down, pulling her down with him. Her heart leaped 
inside her chest as he took her out onto the dance floor. Amidst the blurs of 
exotic colours and guises, she took her hand in his and they danced 
together.
	The feeling was exhilarating, as if she were really floating inside 
heaven. Every part of his body seemed to become a part of hers and 
together they seemed to move as one soul. 
	The rippling waters and crimson kanji caught her gaze. "You don't 
need this anymore," she said, gently tugging at the mask and removing it 
from his face. She stifled a gasp as for the first time his face was fully 
revealed. Pale yet smooth and beautiful, very much like one she had 
dreamed of.
	"I may not be a young Einstein," he remarked. "But I can assure 
you that I'm a killer at chess." 
	"We'll just have to see about that," she replied. She leaned against 
his chest as they slow-danced in the thick of the ballroom dancers. 
Sometimes she would catch a glimpse of familiar faces behind exotic 
masks, the ladies of those couples smiling and waving to her.
	She felt so excited tonight, magik flowing through and possessing 
her body, her soul. "Please," she asked. "Come with me to my world 
tonight after this dance."
	"Hai, your Majesty," he answered.
	She playfully batted his shoulder. "Just because I'm a princess 
doesn't mean you have to call me by that title."
	"How about Megami?" he inquired. "Or perhaps Jo'o-sama? My 
goddess and queen of the waters."
	She blushed again at his fond whispers.
	The symphony paused, and in that moment they slipped out from 
the ballroom and its dancers, stepping through the portal that would return 
them to her world, to her bed.
	She wanted so much to be with him tonight, to become a part of 
him as he became a part of her. For so long shy fear had kept her passions 
deep within, and only now was romance surfacing in her life.
	"Watch your step, Ami-chan," Meikyu said.
	They stopped beneath the gentle-curving roof of the fountain 
corridor, the four Yurei Knights appearing. The black robes billowed out 
to blanket them both in a veil of night. As the folds of dark fabric swept 
around them, she gathered herself up in his arms and leaned forward to 
kiss. He made no effort to resist, letting his lips touch hers. And together 
they journeyed into a world of waking hours.


	"Your mother's not going to object if she suddenly finds a 
Dreamworld guardian in your house, is she?" he asked cautiously, glancing 
down the dim hallway of her large house.
	"She's out for a conference in Kyoto tonight," she answered. "We 
have the house to ourselves until Thursday."
	He cocked an eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you 
had this planned, Ami-chan."
	She smiled; it had never been her intention, but merely a matter of 
rather convenient timing. He smiled, walking alongside with her. She led 
him into the spacious living room--or rather, the foyer. There was yet to be 
an enormous Christmas tree adorned with shimmering orbs and lights and 
decorations and tinsel, sitting over a stack of presents. It was still too early 
in the month for that time to come.
	"It is almost Christmas, Ami-chan," he said, snapping his fingers. 
Without touching a switch or a knob, multiple lights and lamps turned 
themselves on. A large, crackling fire erupted from the fireplace. "What 
would you like as a present?"
	The room seemed so warm and glowing, as if the peak of the 
season was already upon them. She smiled, leaning closer, savouring his 
strange scent of crystal waters and mystic danger. "I already have my 
present, Meikyu-chan."
	They sat down on one of the plush couches, hands clasped with 
one another. She stared into his jade eyes, hoping that he would lean 
forward to kiss her, to caress her skin.
	"Meikyu," she whispered.
	"Ami-chan," he responded, his fingers stroking her palm. Her 
breath quickened as did her heart's beat. "A chess match, perhaps?" he 
abruptly inquired.
	"N-now?" she asked, disappointed and shaken up as her body was 
crying out for his touch.
	Meikyu grinned. "Strip chess?" 
	He snapped his fingers, their set-up for the duel appearing 
assembled on the floor before the roaring fire, its dancing crimson glow 
bouncing across their faces as they found themselves on opposite ends of 
the chess board.
	"The rules are simple enough," he stated. "For every piece you 
lose, you lose an article of clothing."
	She glanced down at herself; her eyes widened. "But I'm still 
wearing my dress!" There were maybe four articles she had on, and that 
was it!
	He cocked an eyebrow. "So you are...and I have on my layers of 
tuxedo. It'll take me four games to shed all of this."
	She laughed, leaning over the gameboard. "Baka!" she scolded, 
wrapping her arms around his neck. "You planned that!"
	She kissed him passionately, letting go of every inhibition that had 
kept her back for so long. Tonight she wanted to be the leader, to be the 
enigma walking in his dreams. Tonight she wanted to feel love in all its 
estacy.
	"To hell with the match," he muttered, wiping the pieces off the 
board as he laid back with her still forcing him down onto the floor.
	She held her breath as his touch moved around the base of her 
neck, tracing the edge of her blouse. Her own fingers moved without a 
trace of her knowledge, nimbly undoing the buttons on his jacket and shirt, 
separating the folds to reveal his chest.
	She pressed her lips against his again, gasping and panting for air as 
the room seemed to become filled with a sweltering heat. The top of her 
gown was slid down the sides of her body, revealing her rounded breasts. 
The smooth silk of the fabric running down her skin send her nerves all on 
edge.
	Skin rubbed against skin, electric and hot. She moved and touched 
all that she could of his body, trying to feel his presence all around her. 
Nothing was left between them, and they came together.
	There was a moment of pain, and he tried to comfort her amidst it. 
Soon the pain was forgotten, and all she could see were his eyes staring 
back at her in love as they moved in one accord to a rhythm of their magik.
	Something was building up inside of her, threatening to destroy her 
mind with an incredible passion engulfing her very voice. She curled up her 
fingers, oblivious to his stifled hiss as she scratched her nails down his skin, 
drawing blood.
	She could not hold back any longer as their rhythm caught her up 
in a tidalwave of passion. Her entire core was on fire, and she tightly 
wrapped herself around him.
	"Meikyu!" she cried out as the rush exploded within her, capturing 
and possessing her entire body and soul. Heaven seemed to be beneath her 
wings as she trembled in excitement. Life became an explosion that 
radiated out from her core, as if she had just tasted death.
	And then her eyes were closed and she collapsed on top of her 
masquerade wraith. He smiled softly, stroking her hair as he he looked at 
her glistening face now peacefully in sleep. She had passed out in that vital 
moment, so overcome by the passion and the magik they had shared 
together.
	"La petite mort," he whispered to himself. He made no move to 
awaken her, but stayed where he was and watched her sleep like an 
exhausted angel.
	"Oyasumi nasai, Ami-chan. Dream well."
	Soon he too fell asleep.
	They slept there together, her in his warm embrace. And there they 
remained long after the embers of a dying fire flickered with a last breath of 
life. But somewhere amidst the silence of a quiet room, a symphony of 
night could be heard, and flickering in the shadows were two masquerade 
dancers together in romance and love.
	"Ami-chan...."
	"Meikyu...."

=====================================================================

Tales of the Dreamworld, 5th Night - The Harbinger's Tale
Rated R


	Kindred: (n) 2.a: relationship by blood or marriage;
 	  kinship.  b: possession of similar qualities; 
	  affinity

			-Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary



	Just as every life possesses an instance that can be 
brought to life in words, the event becomes a chapter in a 
book, a story for others to gaze upon and be swallowed 
whole within the realm.
	A realm beyond the waking hours, forged from the magik 
of a thousand dreamers and their dreams. Within every soul 
lies a story to tell, each event a tale to give unto 
others.
	These tales, both surreal and sensual, are but a few 
of many chapters in a world given breath by a creator. Her 
name is Naoko Takeuchi. The people and their lives are of 
her heart and soul. They belong in her embrace. But the 
Mystwolves, those who live in the myst of the Dreamworld 
belong to another, and they are of my skin and soul. I 
embrace their world and their fangs as my own children.
	I ask that none may steal any of them away from their 
creators. The world of the Moon Princess and her royal 
court belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Their hearts and souls 
belong to her; they are a part of her stories. But the 
realm of the waking dreamers, and of the Darkpacks who roam 
within them, are a part of my own story.  Milady Naoko's 
princesses belong in their castles beyond the moon, and my 
Mystwolves belong lurking in the corners of our dreams. 
	One of honour does not become a petty thief; I ask for 
your requests if you wish my raven angels to wander into 
other worlds and other stories.

	-His lordship Chaos  (hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com)



	"Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
	 In the forests of the night, 
	 What immortal hand or eye
	 Could frame thy fearful symmetry?"

				-William Blake, "The Tyger"


	For over one thousand years have I wandered this realm 
beyond our dreams, where those with the magik walk as if 
their dreams were their waking hours. From one kingdom to 
the next I have travelled, finding many tales to reach my 
listening ears.
	And none are darker than those of the creatures of the 
evening mysts that are the essence this realm. Their 
howlsong can shatter the still of a midnight sky, and even 
raven angels and Shadowdemons will pay them respect. Legend 
holds that they were the first to ever roam the kingdoms of 
this place.
	They are the Dreamworld's firstborn.
	They are the Mystwolves.
	Possessed with deadly stalking prowess, they are bound 
by fierce codes to protect each other from danger. To 
tangle with one is to declare war on every last one of them 
who breathes. If only humans were as dedicated to their 
friends as the Mystwolves are. Yet I know of a handful who 
would cross into hell if it meant rescuing a friend. I have 
witnessed them nearly die to save the life of one they 
cared deeply about. These girls and their raven angels are 
very much like the Mystwolves in this respect.
	But how far would you be willing to go to protect 
someone who was not of your breed, not of your realm? What 
price is worth paying to see someone breathe for one more 
day, even if it meant you had to breathe your last?
	Let me tell you a story....


	THE HARBINGER'S TALE


	Alone he stoop atop the lonely flat surface of the 
plateaus, staring down at the lush vegetation and 
cliffscapes far below. Beyond the horizon of these plateaus 
was a sea of jungle forests that swallowed up both 
highlands and valleys. And somewhere in that beyond there 
lied an empire of dragons.
	Three large crystal orbs were being twirled around in 
his palm, the moonlight flashing off their glistening 
surfaces. Gently and gracefully he plucked one of the orbs 
without disturbing the motions of the remaining two. 
Lifting the orb to his lips he blew on the crystal, and it 
suddenly took off like a bubble.
	He brushed aside some bangs of shining blonde hair 
from his shades as he watched the crystal float away into 
the night sky, to journey through the realms until it found 
a place to rest. Another wish made, another hope come to 
take wings.
	The cool winds breathed life into his silver cloak, 
the ends billowing out at his side. The edges of his black 
jacket and tie fluttered into the breeze.
	And then a grey mist rose up from behind him, possibly 
filtering out from the rock but not like ordinary smoke or 
cloud. Still continuing with the twirling of the crystals 
in his one palm, he glanced back at the mist.
	With a loud whinny a steed trotted out from the mists, 
brilliant and elegant, its long flowing mane dancing in the 
winds that suddenly swept the plateau. But it was not a 
Silvermane. Instead what he saw before him was a white 
unicorn bearing a set of angel's wings. A Pegasus steed, 
pawing at the ground with its hooves as the hot air from 
its nostrils came out as wisps of steam.
	He turned his entire body now, pushing the cloak over 
his shoulders so it billowed up behind him and over the 
edge of the plateau as he faced the Pegasus.
	Plucking a second crystal, he blew it out into the 
kingdoms beyond the plateau. And then with a rapid twist of 
his hand, he rolled the last crystal around his wrist and 
brought it into his other palm. This one also drifted out 
into the night air on his breath, floating to a place only 
it would decide upon.
	He never opened his mouth to speak. Instead from 
behind his shades he gave the white steed a quizzical 
expression. The Pegasus lowered its head, pointing its horn 
towards the decorated cliffsides far below. He turned and 
gazed down in that direction, slowly pulling the shades off 
his face to reveal a pair of crystal blue eyes.
	A glance to his side showed that once again he was 
alone on top of this plateau. There was no surprise or 
confusion in his face; if anything his curiousity had been 
piqued by this visitation. So he remained at the edge of 
the plateau and stared out at the jungle forests sprawled 
out before him, and to the crescent moon high in the 
midnight skies.
	Somewhere out there a cool wind was blowing.
	Then out beyond he heard a chorus of haunting cries 
lifted up to the air, howls of the wolf. And yet of no 
ordinary wolf, but of Mystwolf.
	The darkpacks were on the move once more.


	It was midnight somewhere out there on the planet 
known as Earth, but here inside the Dreamworld it was 
forever that hour where never a sunrise nor a sunset had 
ever been seen let alone glimpsed. Yet the eternal moon, 
forever going through its waxes and wanings, circled the 
skies with its host of stars.
	Tonight the moon was in its crescent form, and tonight 
it was gazing down upon the rocky faces of the forest 
cliffs that were shadowed by the looming plateaus off in 
the nearby distance. Here a waterfall cascaded gracefully 
down levels of stone and through channels of rock to 
finally crash down in a white, bubbly steam over the 
hotsprings.
	She was alone as she bathed beneath the warm water 
rushing over her hair, her shoulders, her entire pale white 
body. The interior of these rocks heated the water, and she 
had come here knowing full well that she would find a 
hotspring and not a cold though refreshing lake.
	With a sigh she let the warmth course down her sixteen 
year-old body. It was a body that had seen time both askew 
and amok, and she herself had grown up twice in one life. 
But now she had returned to the way she once was, the way 
she once knew herself to be.
	The winds whistled as they swept past her, sending up 
another rush of steam from the water. But as the whistling 
of the air died down, new sounds reached her ears: 
breathing, panting, growling. These were the sounds made by 
animals of the Dreamworld, ones she knew well enough. Her 
hands crossed demurely over her breasts, she turned and 
looked out the forest around the hotspring.
	One pair of eyes suddenly lit up the darkness amidst 
the trees, glowing brilliant gold as they stared at her. 
The slitted eyes of a cat watched, yet they belonged to a 
creature not quite feline yet not fully canine.
	Another pair of golden eyes were opened, emerging from 
the shadows. She could see nothing in the darkness except 
those eyes, but she could hear them move amidst the 
foliage. And then one more pair of golden eyes were opened, 
followed by another, and yet another still.
	A legion of blazing golden eyes were drifting past the 
shadows of the trees lining the edge of the clearing. The 
winds carried with them the growls and breaths of a wild 
wolf. But she was not frightened, smiling as she watched 
the many eyes fade away until only one pair was left.
	They were retreating.
	All but one, for he was their Huntking, their Alpha 
male. Out of respect and honour for the one more ancient 
than any of the wolves in the darkpack, they allowed him 
the privacy to approach her.
	"Okami-chan," she said quietly, a delicate smile 
growing on her face.
	The Mystwolf pushed out from the darkness of the 
forest, its sleek body sparkling in tints and shades of 
silver in the pale moonlight. Twin sets of fangs were at 
the corners of its mouth, slender and lethal. The wolf 
walked over to the edge of hotspring and looked down at its 
reflection into the surface. For a moment she saw a human 
face with the same eyes stare up at the wolf. Then the 
waters rippled and the reflection vanished. 
	He waited patiently as she waded over to the edge of 
the hotspring, leaning against the delicate grass to stare 
up at the wolf. In turn the wolf sat down and lowered its 
head until they were nose to nose.
	They remained like that for a while, silent and 
staring into each other's eyes. He seemed almost human in 
those two golden cat-eyes, looking at her with dedicated 
affection.
	"Were you waiting long?" she asked, reaching out with 
one hand to scratch behind the Mystwolf's ears. The wolf 
seemed to growl approvingly, it's own version of a purr.
	A mischievous smile came across her face as the 
Mystwolf relaxed under her stroking, and she moved closer 
until both hands were able to wrap around the wolf's body. 
And then she pulled as hard as she could.
	Giving a startled yelp, the Mystwolf toppled into the 
water with a loud splash. She giggled as wet fur brushed 
against her warm skin as she too fell backwards. The 
Mystwolf emerged from beneath the water's surface. But this 
was not a wolf to arise, but a young man. He bore with him 
the telltale cat-eyes of his breed; apart from that he now 
appeared no more wolf than she.
	"You devilish little imp!" he said, his voice low but 
smooth, a strange blend between growling and purring. 
	She laughed and tried to escape, splashing through the 
waist-high water as he gave chase. Yet he seemed to glide 
through the hotspring, and with relative ease he wrapped 
his arms around her and scooped her up out of the water, 
playfully tossing her back down.
	Once more she found herself in his arms as he helped 
her back up from below the water's surface, her wet, 
shoulder-length raven hair clinging to her neck and 
shoulders. She fought in his firm grip as he drew her 
closer.
	She stared in playful defiance at him, but then 
relaxed as he lowered his head to kiss her. His grip on her 
arms was lost, instead his hands wrapping around her back. 
She did the same to him, feeling his warm skin press 
against hers. 
	They drew apart, her own dark violet eyes staring 
demurely at golden cat-eyes. 
	For so long she had been living in fear of herself, of 
what she was. Only in her darkest hours had her true self 
emerged. The entire Earth had almost been claimed in that 
hour of darkness. But now she was older, and saw the world 
in a different light. For a time she had been a literal 
child again, and then once more became the soldier of death 
and rebirth.
	That had been an hour darker than any before it, and 
if not for the compassion of the etherial, odango-haired 
blonde, they all would have perished forever. But that was 
in the past. Now the world was at peace, slowly 
rediscovering its lost magik. She was fast becoming a young 
woman, and learning about a new breed of magik. This was 
its world, its beauty.
	He stroked her cheek, smiling. "The Gathering will 
soon be upon us," he whispered. "A time when all darkpacks 
come together for the celestial howlsong, and you can 
become our queen. Have you chosen your Earthen familiar 
yet?"
	"Not yet," she answered. "But I will when I awake." 
	He closed one hand and then reopened it a moment 
later. In that moment which spanned but a heartbeat, the 
flower of a black rose was in his palm, the petals opened 
up to bloom.
	She closed her eyes, sighing as he caressed her face 
with the delicate petals of the rose. The petals brushed 
her forehead and then ran down along her nose, pausing 
briefly at her lips before continuing around her chin and 
down her neck. She shivered as the rose slid between her 
breasts and then was pulled away upon contacting the 
water's surface.
	"Okami-chan," she whispered.
	"Hotaru-sama," he breathed.
	And then someone else deliberately coughed.  
	They both whirled, and he placed himself defensively 
between her and the shore of the hotsprings, twin sets of 
vicious fangs suddenly jutting out from the corners of his 
mouth. 
	Two young women stared back at them with wry smiles. 
One was tall, wild sandy-blonde hair rustling in the 
breeze. The other, who had wavy aqua-green hair, was almost 
as tall but held a more refined aura.
	"I trust we're not interrupting," the tall sandy-
blonde said.
	"Perhaps it would be just as well if we had," the 
aqua-haired one remarked, if not chiding her. "What are you 
doing here, Hotaru-chan?" 
	The aggression in his eyes faded, and his fangs 
retracted. "You two always did know how to spoil a romantic 
moment," he remarked sourly. "Unless it was between 
yourselves."
	The wavy, aqua-haired woman regarded him curiously. 
"Have we met before?"
	He nodded, chuckling to himself.
	The two young women slowly turned as more Mystwolves 
emerged from the forest. Others they would have been ready 
to rip to shreds in a heartbeat, but they knew these two 
women to be friends and allies.
	"I never knew you were in the company of Mystwolves, 
Hotaru-chan," the aqua-haired woman said. 
	"They are my friends," she replied, smiling as he 
laced his arms around her neck. "I have travelled with them 
for many months now."
	"And who's he?" the sandy-blonde inquired.
	He chuckled, letting them see the glow of his golden 
cat-eyes. "Don't you know? Have you not already recognized 
my eyes? Or my fangs for that matter?"
	"Masaka," the sandy-blonde whispered. "He's a 
Mystwolf."
	"Enough teasing them," she said.
	"A Mystwolf for a boyfriend," the aqua-haired woman 
said with a smile, kneeling to pet one of the friendly 
Mystwolf cubs--and then glance down at the two in the 
hotsprings. "So what exactly are you doing in there with 
her?"
	"She started it," he countered. 
	"Who exactly are you anyways?" the tall sandy-blonde 
asked.
	"Would you like to do the introductions, Hotaru-chan," 
he inquired, glancing over to her with that playful glimmer 
in his eyes. "or shall I?" 
	She smiled shyly. "Ara. Haruka-poppa, Michiru-momma: I 
would like to introduce you to Okami. In this form he is 
human. In another form, he is Mystwolf."
	"I didn't know they could assume our form," the aqua-
haired woman said.
	"We Mystwolves are shape-shifters to a certain 
extent," he replied. "The leaders of the clans hold the 
highest level of magik among them, and with a darkpack's 
magik backing them up they can become human for a time."
	"Kind of makes you jealous, doesn't it?" the sandy-
blonde said to the aqua-haired woman. "What would you 
choose to become, Michiru?"
	She chuckled. "Depends on the mood you're in."
	The tall sandy-blonde cocked an eyebrow. "Is that an 
offer?"
	"And my time, at least, is running out," he abruptly 
spoke up. "I would like to spend that remaining time alone 
with Hotaru-chan."
	"Let's let them be," aqua-haired woman said to the 
tall, sandy-blonde. "I know that look of his all too well 
after seeing you give it enough times, Haruka."
	A few more moments passed with some knowing and stern 
glances cast in his direction, and they could tell that he 
understood enough what they meant. The two women ventured 
off into the forest, as did the darkpack, going their 
separate ways and leaving her again alone with him. 
	"Never a moment's peace," he growled, giving her a 
quick peck on the cheek and starting back to the shoreline 
of the hotsprings.
	She remained where she was, staring at where the two 
young women had gone into the forest. As much as she 
appreciated their loving protection, she wasn't a little 
girl anymore. In the prelude of it all, when Nehelenia's 
seal had been broken, she matured from a year-old baby into 
a twelve-year old girl to help them fight as Sailor Saturn. 
Ever since the purification of Galaxia, she had grown rapidly 
from twelve to sixteen in but a few months; that had been her 
original age once before.
	Everything had come full circle now.
	"I'm not a child anymore," she whispered, more to the 
air than to anyone else. Or was she whispering these words 
to herself as comfort for a life that had been violated by 
her world's magik?
	Abruptly something stung her eye, a pain that 
ricocheted throughout her skull. It lasted only a moment, 
and was gone all too quickly. However there was a strange 
sensation echoing in her body. Soon afterwards it too 
faded.
	"Strange," she said to herself. Most likely dust from 
the rock face high overhead.
	She glanced back and saw a Mystwolf body rising up 
from the hotsprings, vigorously shaking itself dry. The 
Mystwolf turned, and she saw his eyes watching over her. 
Wading over to the edge of the steaming waters, she pushed 
herself out of the hotspring and found the dry blanket she 
had left on the rocks.
	Wrapping the blanket around herself, she sat down upon 
the smooth face of the rock, the Mystwolf pacing around her 
before he too settled down, resting his head in her lap.
	"So strange that someone so deadly could be so 
gentle," she said quietly, stroking the wolf's fur. This 
elicited a content, growling purr from the ancient beast.
	Somewhere far off in the heart of the forest a chorus 
of haunting wolf cries were lifted up to celebrate the 
eternal moon. Very soon now all the Mystwolves would gather 
together, as they had once every century, to protect a 
newly chosen Darkqueen, their Empress.
	Now she was the chosen one.
	"Such a beautiful howlsong," she said, staring up at 
the midnight skies.
	The Mystwolf lifted his head, staring at her with 
those dedicated yet dangerous cat-eyes. He licked the side 
of her cheek and then withdrew, stalking around the 
hotspring before pausing atop the highest rock.
	"Okami?" she asked.
	And then he lifted his head and unleashed a howl that 
seemed to echo across the forest and its neighbouring 
plateaus. With his single howlsong a dozen more joined in, 
and then even more. She stood very still for a long time as 
she watched him proclaim with his haunting voice his 
dedication.
	The dream around her started to fade away, caught up 
in a cloud of grey mist that was taking her back to the 
world of the waking hours. She closed her eyes, 
surrendering back into a place where she would arise from a 
bed and be greeted by sunlight.
	In that final moment between sleeping and waking, she 
heard his voice once more. "I shall always protect you," he 
whispered. "Now and forever, my Darkqueen...."


	The masquerade wraith sat leisurely atop the brilliant 
crimson torii at the front of the Shinto temple grounds, 
one leg dangling over the edge of the gateway. At his lips, 
a delicate crystal flute was piping a beautiful melody.
	"He makes me nervous when he does that," the blue-
haired genius admitted, staring up at the wraith.
	"Meikyu's like a cat," the raven knight stated, 
sitting in the embrace the tall brunette. "I've yet to see 
him not land on his feet."
	The mid-December sun was beginning its descent into 
evening, a time for lovers and dreamers. Each one now had a 
beloved to call their own: the tall brunette and the raven 
angel, the long-haired blonde and the raven knight, the 
dark-haired shrine girl and the shrine protege--and the 
last of them all to find a boyfriend, a soulmate, the blue-
haired genius and the masquerade wraith.
	But before them all had been the odango-haired blonde 
and the dark-haired prince. These two had been destined in 
past, present and future to share a love that seemed to 
possess the very heart of all that was magik.
	The air around them was cool but mild enough for them 
to still be comfortably outside together, seating along the 
verandah of one of the shrine buildings. However in a few 
days this weather was liable to change, ushering in the 
possibility of snow and a season of both passion and 
compassion.
	"What do you want for Christmas, Minako-chan?" the 
raven knight asked of the long-haired blonde.
	"I know what I want!" the odango-haired blonde 
enthusiastically piped up. "A romantic dinner for two with 
Mamo-chan!"
	"Kishi was asking Minako, not you, Usagi," the dark-
haired shirne girl sighed, and then added, "Baka."
	The dark-haired prince gave an uneasy smile. "So long 
as I don't have to treat you all to Korean barbecue 
again...."
	Everyone shared in the laughter of the time, though 
the guardians of the Dreamworld could only exchange 
confused glances at a joke and an event that preceeded 
them. 
	"We have a visitor," Meikyu's voice abruptly 
announced.
	They all turned as a girl with a pale complexion and 
garments in shades of night walked beneath the crimson 
torii. The black against crimson hues made her pale skin 
all the more evident.
	"Hotaru-chan!" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed with 
a smile.
	"Ohayo," she said, bowing slightly to them all.
	Meikyu leaned backwards and dropped off from the 
torii, flipping around and landing with perfect grace. Long 
strands of earthen brown hair flowed around the wraith in 
the descent. She stepped away as Meikyu landed in behind 
her, but all too quickly she saw this young man was of the 
Dreamworld too.
	"It's been a long time, Hotaru-chan," the tall 
brunette said warmly.
	The others all nodded.
	"We've missed your visits," the dark-haired shrine 
girl added.
	"How is Souchi-san?" the long-haired blonde inquired.
	"My father's well," she answered. She turned to the 
odango-haired blonde. "Usagi, may I speak with you in 
private?"
	The odango-haired blonde was surprised but nodded none 
the less. 
	"Daijobu," the dark-haired prince said. "I need to get 
home anyways; I have a paper to work on."
	After a chaste peck on each other's lips, the lovers 
excused themselves, the dark-haired prince leaving the 
Shinto shrine and the odango-haired blonde slipping through 
a fusama.
	She followed, closing shut the screen behind her.
	"Who is she?" Sora asked as she disappeared inside the 
room. For none of the Dreamworld guardians had ever 
witnessed the highest joys and darkest hours of the Sailor 
Senshi before, though they had felt the ripples within the 
dream realm.
	And so the girls shared with them the tales of the 
Outer Senshi, the most enigmatic and distant of them all. 
When they had finished with her tale of death and rebirth, 
all the guardians remained silent for a long time.


	"What is it, Hotaru-chan?" the odango-haired blonde 
asked as they settled into a room.
	She took another hard look at the girl seated across 
from her. Sometimes it was hard to think of the odango-
haired blonde as their future queen, full of elegance and 
compassion. Yet these virtues were revealed when all other 
hopes were lost. She owed her life to this girl.
	"Chibiusa-chan is not here in this time, is she?" she 
asked.
	"Gomen, but she's back in Crystal Tokyo," the odango-
haired blonde said, trying not to hurt her feelings. "I 
don't know if she's coming back anytime soon."
	Her deep violet eyes lowered to the wooden floor. 
"Oh."
	"Were you hoping to play together again?"
	It may have been an innocent question, but even still 
it caused her to clench a fist, controlling the 
frustration. They had seen her run through so many ages 
before, it was hard to think of her as a sixteen year-old. 
More than once she had licked her wounds in quiet as they 
treated her differently, as one younger than them.
	Evidently her quiet rage was picked up by the odango-
haired blonde, who wore a look of concern for her.
	"Hotaru-chan?" 
	"Hai," she answered, staring back at the odango-haired 
blonde with as much defiance as she dared possible for 
someone like this girl. Yet her harsh gaze softened; she 
could never stay angry at the odango-haired blonde. It was 
a wonder if anyone could for a soul who cared so much about 
everyone else. 
	"I've met someone in the Dreamworld," she began.
	The odango-haired blonde seemed to forget about that 
last moment of uneasiness, suddenly alive and excited and 
talking in a loud voice.
	"Sugoi! Hotaru-chan has a boyfriend?" 
	She blushed slightly. 
	"You are in love!" the odango-haired blonde sighed 
romantically. "So who is he? Another guardian?"
	She shook her head, laughing quietly at the girl's 
exuberance. "His name is Okami."
	"Okami," the odango-haired blonde said, trying out the 
name. "Sounds very mysterious. I can't wait to meet him."
	She smiled shyly, nodding. It felt awkward getting all 
this attention. Especially what she was about to ask. 
"Usagi-san, I have a request to make: tonight Okami and his 
kind will make me their Empress, their Darkqueen. They 
wished that I bring someone from our world to bear witness 
to the ceremony. And since Chibiusa-chan is not here--"
	"You want me to do it?" the odango-haired blonde 
exclaimed, beaming with pride. Suddenly the odango-haired 
blonde wrapped her up in an embrace. "Arigato gozaimasu! 
You've made Usagi very honoured!"
	At first she was startled at such an emotional 
outburst, but them smiled, and even returned the sentiment. 
"No, Usagi," she said quietly. "Thank you."


	It was forever the midnight hour inside the 
Dreamworld, and tonight the forest of one kingdom seemed 
alive more than ever before, teeming with excited magik. 
The Gathering was almost at hand.
	She smiled as she saw the odango-haired blonde come 
into being, looking around for directions. "Komban wa, 
Usagi," she said. Her robes of dark black were sparkling 
from the parade of moonbeams puncturing through the forest 
ceiling. Numerous billowing sashes of glistening silver 
fluttered around her body as if possessed with their own 
souls to dance.
	The odango-haired blonde laughed sheepishly. "Gomen, 
Hotaru-chan! I was so excited I couldn't fall asleep!"
	Some things never seemed to change.
	"The Gathering is almost at hand," she informed the 
odango-haired blonde. "Come, Usagi; the ceremony is down 
this path, through the clearing."
	She led the way, taking her time; her physical body 
was forever at a disadvantage, for while she possessed a 
gift of the healing touch, that energy was transferred from 
her own body.
	"Where are we going?"
	"The valley of the Myst," she answered. "We are 
already close to the heart of this kingdom. It is their 
domain, almost lost within the borders of our two worlds."
	"Oh, that's right!" the odango-haired blonde 
exclaimed. "I was so excited I forgot to ask: who exactly 
wants you to become their queen?"
	"The Mystwolves," she answered.
	"Na ni?!" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed, 
completely taken aback. "Y-you're going to be 
their...they're going to make you...your boyfriend is 
a...."
	She laughed. "Daijobu, Usagi. They are quite gentle 
around those they trust. And tonight you are my guest." She 
paused, glancing down at the grass path beneath their feet. 
"I...I want to thank you again, Usagi. You don't know how 
much this means to me."
	The odango-haired blonde smiled, clasping their hands 
together. "Everything will turn out fine, Hotaru-chan."
	And then something swept past them, a biting gale that 
ushered with it a hideous sensation of dread and cold fear. 
A thousand primal screams washed past her ears.
	She was frozen, rooted to the ground at her feet, eyes 
wide and trembling in terror over what she had felt and 
heard. A chorus of dying howls had been lifted up to the 
eternal moon and then savagely silenced.
	The odango-haired blonde glanced over at her. "Did you 
feel that?"
	She nodded, a shiver running down her spine. But what 
frightened her more was that she knew what made such a cry 
to the heavens of this realm.
	"Okami," she whispered, stepping forward.
	That one step became a run, and even though her body 
could never handle such physical stress she pushed herself 
forward. One time she stumbled, only to be caught in the 
arms of the odango-haired blonde.
	Even though minutes passed, they felt like hours upon 
nights to her before they saw the emerging light where the 
Gathering was to take place. Here the forest canopy opened 
up into a great plain adorned with broken ruins claimed by 
the Mystwolves. Many times she had been there and felt at 
peace. Now she feared even drawing nearer after what she 
had just felt.
	She forced herself to step closer to the opening, to 
the place where the Gathering was to be. This was to be the 
place for her inauguration.
	And then her senses beheld the fate of these 
creatures.
	Her eyes widened as she saw the clearing. Blood and 
gore was spread across the grass and splattered across the 
trees and plants. Her mouth opened to whisper something, 
anything, but her voice was choked and she could only 
listen her own frantic breathing.
	The Mystwolves had met with a truly vicious end.
	"Hotaru-chan...." the odango-haired blonde whispered 
hoarsely.
	Not one she saw was alive, or even had a chance at 
possible survival. Even mothers and their young were laying 
dead, sprawled out beyond the rows of slain wolfen hunters. 
Their bodies were as far as she could see, dismantled and 
decorated with blood. Some had been torn apart savagely, 
their organs spilled out before their broken bodies. 
	So much horror. The smell of blood, urine and fear was 
thick in the air. This was ultimately the scent of death, 
something that made her shiver. So much blood. So many 
bodies. This had to have been every last Mystwolf that ever 
roamed the Dreamworld. They had all come together for this 
one night to celebrate the Gathering, to make her their 
Darkqueen. And now they were all dead.
	"Okami...." she managed to say in a strangled voice.
	It would be impossible to find him amidst all these 
corpses and blood-ridden grounds. Some Mystwolves were only 
stains of blood or matted tangles of fur and intestines. 
Even if she did find him, did she want to find him here?
	The tears were starting to run, though not 
specifically out of sadness or fear. She was at a loss for 
coping with the gruesome sight before her. The odango-
haired blonde wrapped her up in a desperate embrace, 
already lost to tears and sadness. 
	"Why?" she cried to her princess. 
	Then she heard the faint whimpering of a child wolf. 
Her deep violet eyes found a bundle of fur that was still 
moving, stirring as it was painfully roused by her 
presence. She took a reluctant step into the fresh 
graveyard, searching out for a Mystwolf who may have 
survived.
	She knelt down next to the body of a mother, and found 
at the mother's side a tiny Mystwolf cub. It looked at her 
with its saddened cat-eyes of gold, its tiny body shivering 
from the cold. She could see the pain in the cub's eyes, 
the blood dripping from its mouth and soaked into its 
matted skin.
	Her heart nearly broke in two.
	She moved out her hand to touch the Mystwolf child. 
Her power could give this cub a chance at surviving. But as 
he fingers stretched out the cub's whimper ceased, and it 
eyes slowly closed for the last time.
	"Iie," she whispered, desperate. 
	No. Not this. 
	She touched the cub, nudging it with her hand. But it 
did not move of its own life or breath. 
	"Hotaru-chan," the odango-haired blonde said quietly, 
reaching out to gently touch her, to comfort her. But she 
recoiled, slapping away the hand and glaring at the odango-
haired blonde with frantic eyes.
	"Iie!" she cried out, her voice growing louder with 
each time she said it. "IIE! IIE!!!"
	A blur of silver suddenly exploded in between them, 
and she stumbled backwards, startled. The odango-haired 
blonde cried out in fright. 
	It was a Mystwolf, the only visible one left alive. 
Two glowing, slitted eyes narrowed as they fixated on her, 
and suddenly she recognized those two eyes. Once they had 
looked at her with love and dedication.
	The Mystwolf lowered his head and sniffed at the 
mother and cub, curling the edges of his lips to reveal the 
deadly twin pairs of savage fangs.
	"Okami," she whispered.
	In a very low growl, he spoke two nearly inaudible 
words: "Get out." 
	There was nothing else left for her here, and the true 
terror was seizing control of her mind and body with each 
passing second. She could not face this any longer. She 
turned and fled, terrified by what she saw. The dam burst, 
and hot tears flowed down her cheeks. The odango-haired 
blonde gave chase after her, calling out her name.
	"Hotaru-chan! Hotaru-chan!"
	And then his sorrowful cries reached her ears as she 
ran away, a single lonely howl lifted up the heavens of the 
Dreamworld. 
	He was singing a requiem.
	She finally stopped running inside the forest, her 
breaths coming in frantic, irregular gasps as her mind and 
body lost all their power and will to carry her forward one 
step more. Her weight shifted, her stance wobbling. And 
then she fell, though the odango-haired blonde caught her.
	"Iie!" she sobbed, burying her face into the odango-
haired blonde's gown. Her strength left her, and she 
collapsed. 
	"Hotaru-chan!" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed, 
catching her and helping her down onto the forest floor. 
She curled up into the odango-haired blonde's grip, and 
then felt a teardrop strike her own face.
	Her princess was crying too, but was still trying to 
be there for her tears. "Usagi-san," she whispered.
	But the odango-haired blonde could say nothing else, 
and she could see that both their hearts were torn apart by 
what they had just witnessed. Such fragile and beautiful 
life mercilessly destroyed.
	And so the odango-haired blonde held her there as she 
cried, and she became lost in her sadness, unaware even 
when she stopped crying or slipped away into her own realm.


	She awoke in the dead of night, huddled up and still 
crying. But she felt a warm body next to her; it was that 
of the odango-haired blonde. Her princess has stayed with 
her all through the night, even when the time came to cross 
back over to their world.
	With weary eyes the odango-haired blonde managed a 
weak smile. "Hotaru-chan, you're awake."
	Neither of them had reverted to their nightgowns; 
their robes from the ceremony still remained. She gripped 
the odango-haired blonde's dress tighter, trying to curl 
herself into her princess' caring embrace.
	The memories returned to haunt her, and she saw all 
those in the Dreamworld she had ever cared about, those who 
had cared for her, die cruelly. Had Okami deserted her too 
now?
	It was still too much for her.
	"Hold me, please, Usagi-san," she whispered. "Just 
hold me for a little while longer." The tears started to 
flow again. "I just need someone to hold me...."


	The morning of a December Sunday had already crept 
across the city, and many souls awoke from their sleep 
refreshed and smiling at the world they knew. Yet the new 
morning brought only uneasiness as a group of souls with 
unique magik came together.
	The dark-haired shrine girl was standing next to the 
shrine protege, watching as the raven knight and the long-
haired blonde entered the Shinto temple grounds. 
	"Did you feel that last night?" the raven knight asked 
uneasily.
	"It was as if a thousand cries were lifted up into the 
skies before they were suddenly silenced," the dark-haired 
shrine girl stated, visibly chilled not by the weather but 
by the dream.
	The shrine protege glanced around the temple grounds. 
"But what makes a cry like that?" 
	"Someone from the Dreamworld," came a new voice. The 
masquerade wraith, arm over the shoulders of the blue-
haired genius, walked beneath the torii. Beside the couple 
was the raven angel and the tall brunette, the first of 
them all to experience the magik of two worlds.
	"What does it all mean?" the tall brunette asked.
	They all turned as the odango-haired blonde slowly 
walked beneath the crimson torii, not quite aware of all 
the actions any of them were making--not even herself. The 
sadness was evident in their princess' face, and the girls 
helped the odango-haired blonde inside to a warmer room.
	"Usagi-chan?" the long-haired blonde asked, concerned.
	And so the odango-haired blonde told them of what she 
had seen. Before the account could be finished, the 
princess broke down in tears and sobs. The others rushed to 
aid the odango-haired blonde, but the guardians of the 
Dreamworld looked to each other with grim uneasiness.
	For whoever had the power to kill the firstborns of 
their realm, their Dreamworld, was an evil that perhaps 
they might not even be able to destroy.


	Across the city the midnight December winds were 
blowing, though not as tempests or gusts. This was a gentle 
breeze, but cold enough to chill the body. All around the 
bright lights of the cityscape turned the night into a 
spectacular display of darkness and daylight.
	On the outskirts of a park evening mist began to 
billow out from the heart of the trees, tracing its way 
around the base of the trunks and over the grasses until it 
reached fencing and sidewalk, and then asphalt road.
	Another pocket of wind stirred the mists, and a cloud 
arose from the heart of the trees, beams of moonlight 
giving it eerie shades of grey. A shadow began to emerge, 
and very quickly the silhouette stepped out onto the 
sidewalk, mist trailing out around his feet.
	He was dressed in strange clothes, and held about him 
an exotic and dangerous aura. He was not one to be trifled 
with, nor underestimated. A black choker was around his 
neck. Chiselled muscles visibly outlined his chest for 
beneath the open jacket he wore was a billowy black shirt 
with a low neckline that curved beneath his pecks.
	He glanced up at the moon in its crescent glory of the 
night, its beams catching his blazing golden eyes. Slitted 
eyes of a cat. The winds arose once more, and his wild 
silver hair danced at their whim. Yet he did not feel the 
cold in the December air.
	"So this is her world," the stranger remarked. His 
voice was low, slightly guttural with what might have been 
a purr or a growl edged in.
	With one step he began to stalk across the street, 
savouring the cool winds of Tokyo. His aura was thriving on 
the approaching midnight hours, and he smiled savagely. 
Twin sets of fangs protruded from the corners of his lips, 
silver and glistening.
	He whirled as lights suddenly caught his crouched 
form, and the roar of a car engine reached his ears. A low 
growl escaped his lips as he saw the yellow convertible 
charging down towards him.
	But he was not like a deer. Instead he waited, 
watching as the car grew larger in his vision. At the last 
possible second he sprang into the air, the ground leaving 
his feet. His leap was like a raven's flight, soaring high 
and disappearing into the trees.
	The covertible veered sharply in trying to avoid 
smashing into his agile form, and he was all but gone as 
the sports car spun around and lurched to a stop, leaving 
black skid marks on the road.
	The two passengers inside undid their seatbelts and 
pushed off the seats, staring up at the crescent moon that 
had claimed his shadowy form.
	"What in the hell was that?" the driver exclaimed, 
running a hand through her short sandy-blonde hair. She 
turned to her passenger, a young woman with wavy aqua-green 
hair. "Did you see it?"
	The passenger shook her head, unsure of her senses. "I 
don't know. It looked...it looked human."
	"Shimatta," the sandy-blonde said. "I don't like 
this."
	They both slowly turned as a dark, sinister chuckle 
came from behind. Crouched low on top of the convertible's 
trunk was he, two golden eyes staring back at them with 
dark delight.
	"Ara ara," he said, his voice smooth but low and edged 
with a dangerous laugh. "Haruka-san. Michiru-san. Fancy 
meeting you two here."
	Their eyes widened as they recognized him.
	"Masaka!" aqua-green haired one exclaimed.
	"What are you doing here?" the tall sandy blonde 
snapped.
	He smiled, letting his fangs glistening silver in the 
moonlight. "I think I'm going to like it here after all."
	And then he was gone again, springing from the 
convertible and leaping onto a nearby rooftop. The two 
young women barely caught sight of his form disappearing.
	The tall, sandy blonde slowly turned to her companion. 
"I don't like this, Michiru."
	"Since when have you liked any of this?" the aqua-
haired one inquired.
	The sandy-blonde grinned. "If it wasn't for any of 
this, I would never have met you." Her gaze returned to the 
silhouette of the city. "We had better find him, and fast."


	She walked through the park alone, quiet and distant 
in her thoughts. On most other nights she enjoyed 
retreating here to be in solitude. For a long time she had 
been the outsider, scorned and feared by those who saw her 
healing magik.
	A few solitary leaves remained on the trees, and a 
number of them were floating in the breeze down at her 
feet. On most other nights she found comfort in the beauty 
of the world around her. But not tonight. More than 
anything she wanted her surrogate parents to pick her up 
earlier than usual.
	And then she heard a new legion of footsteps rapidly 
approaching her. She turned and found herself being 
encircled by people she knew only by perhaps a reputation, 
people she cared not to associate with. Bullies, gangs, 
arrogant and scornful of her; sometimes she had wished to 
summon the Mystwolves and have the entire Darkpack chase 
them for a few hours.
	But the Mystwolves were dead.
	The grim fact had the melancholy return to her face.
	"Aw, the little girl's sad," one of them taunted.
	She backed away, glaring at them but frightened none 
the less. For though she was sixteen soon to be seventeen, 
this gang held members who looked seventeen if not 
eighteen. And none of them were her friends.
	"Hey, little girl," the leader, laughing cruelly. "Why 
don't you want to play with us?"
	The man reached out to touch her cheek.
	"Leave me alone!" she shouted, smacking the leader's 
hand away from her. 
	Her glares told them enough; she was in no mood to be 
pushed. This glare had been constructed with a hundred 
painful memories of classmates taunting her years ago, 
going out of their way to cause her pain. So she had 
withdrawn and in doing so made certain they never had a 
chance to inflict pain upon her fragile form. She never 
wanted to show her true sadness, her weakness in being an 
outcast. And so she let them know when she was not to be 
pushed around.
	Yet this gang seemed to want to push regardless.
	"You damn bitch," the leader exclaimed.
	A few made steps to advance on her, encircling her on 
one side. She didn't care if they were hostile towards who 
she was; what she had witnessed was burned into her mind, 
just another memory she never wanted.
	"I told you," she shouted. "to leave me alone!"
	"You heard the lady," a new voice growled.
	They turned and saw a strange young man crouched atop 
a tree branch overhead, someone foolish enough to challenge 
them alone. But she saw the moonlight strike his familiar 
face. 	
	Her eyes widened. "Okami!" she exclaimed.
	"Who the hell are you?" one punk snapped.
	He smiled wickedly, displaying a twin set of fangs in 
his mouth. "No one of consequence if you leave now. But if 
you choose to stay, the remainder of this encounter will 
become...unpleasant."
	"Do we look like we give a shit?" one teen retorted
	He hissed, opening his fists and splaying his fingers. 
Each perfectly manicured nail suddenly became a savage, 
black claw unsheathed. Whatever patience he had summoned to 
control his rage was now lost.
	"To hell with this," he snarled, lunging off the 
branch for the nearest person. "To hell with you all!"
	Even though this was a girl, he did not care, striking 
the teen in the chest with enough force to lift the body 
off the ground and send the girl tumbling across the grass. 
He whirled, springing into the air once more.
	He landed in the middle of them all, placing himself 
between her and the gang. He hissed, displaying his fangs. 
"Who's next?" he asked savagely.
	They all converged on him as one. With a chilling 
battle cry he in turn charged at them, flinging as many as 
he could across the grass or onto the closest tree. One man 
produced a switchblade and jabbed it at him.
	"Okami!" she exclaimed.
	He gave an enraged growl through clenched teeth as the 
blade sank deep into his shoulder. With a vicious slash he 
swatted the assailant aside.
	The young man screamed, clutching a bloodied arm.
	He slowly turned, drawing his hand away from his 
shoulder. The knife was in his grip, dripping with his 
blood. Raising the blade to his lips, he ran his tongue 
down one side, savouring his own taste.
	The leader was the only one left standing, and she 
could see that this teenager was terrified. "What in the 
hell are you?" the man exclaimed.
	Suddenly he whirled, launching the knife at another 
gang member who was struggling to rise. The blade sank 
pinned the boy's hand to a tree trunk, and the teen 
screamed.
	He lunged for the leader of the gang, both arms 
seizing the boy and crashing them both against a tree. "I 
could crush your throat right here," he snarled, eyes 
blazing with the soul of a deadly wolf.
	"Please!" the young man cried, choking out the words. 
"Don't kill me! Oh god, don't kill me!!"
	He snarled, licking his fangs with his tongue. "I gave 
you but one chance to leave--a first for me. But I shall 
never give second chances." He leaned into the teen's face, 
slowly opening his mouth to let the fangs protrude and inch 
ever so closer to the man's throat. Within his eyes was 
every intention on giving only the mercy of a quick death.
	"Don't kill me," the teenager cried, tears streaming 
down a bloodied face.	
	The eyes flashed in a pure thirst for vengeance as he 
held the thug's neck in place. "My huntbrothers asked for 
that, and received only death. So death I give unto 
you...Shin'ne."
	"No!" she screamed. "Okami, please! Stop!"
	His head snapped to her direction, his eyes narrowing 
as he closed his jaw and retreated from the young man's 
neck. He was staring at her, waiting for an explanation.
	"Yamete," she pleaded. "Don't do this, Okami. They are 
not your enemy."
	As guilty as they were, these were merely arrogant 
children caught in the wrong place with the wrong enemies. 
She knew that he was venting his rage over losing his kind. 
But this was not like him.
	A part of his eyes flickered, recalling the partial 
humanity he possessed as a Mystwolf. That there were 
emotions beyond hatred, rage and vengeance. That there was 
another reason for him to live.
	He nodded to her. "As you wish."
	The grip around the young man's neck was lost, the 
teen collapsing to the ground and gasping for air. He 
stalked away from them until he was by her side. Then his 
glare returned to those who had threatened her.
	"You're not worth the effort," he snarled at them. "I 
have met hobgoblins that showed more courage than you. But 
if you so much as touch this girl again, the next time we 
meet I won't be so...merciful."
	And to emphasize his point he snarled once more, 
stretching open his jaws to display the lethal fangs. His 
eyes were caught in the moonlight, and those fallen before 
him saw his blazing gold eyes.
	The teens stumbled away with whatever was left of 
their pride and bodies. One cried in clutching their hand, 
the blade pulled out of the tree but left in their palm. 
Slowly they disappeared into the shadows.
	With the adrenaline leaving his body, now the pain set 
in fiercer than he could have recalled it being. He dropped 
to his knees, grimacing as he clutched his wounded 
shoulder.
	She tried to help but he pushed her away.
	"I'm fine," he stated.
	She reached out again, and this time he did not resist 
as she gently placed her fingers on his body. "Please," she 
said, touching his shoulder.
	She closed her eyes and summoned her magik.
	His eyes widened and he hissed as a warm sensation 
shot through his entire chest, radiating out from the 
shoulder. Every nerve felt like it was on edge and ignited. 
He fought well against the urge to squirm and escape; that 
would only do more damage than healing.
	Abruptly the pain stopped, leaving his shoulder numb. 
But the gaping wound was sealed; not even a scar remained. 
He smiled as he tested his arm.
	"Arigato, Hotaru-chan," he said. He smile faded as she 
seemed to grow paler than before, and collapsed into his 
arms.
	"Hotaru-chan!" he exclaimed. "Hotaru-chan!"
	"Daijobu," she whispered, smiling weakly at him. 
"Whenever I heal someone, it drains much of my own energy."
	He propped her seated form against his own, holding 
her tightly as if afraid that if he let go he might lose 
her forever. "I never thought you would get into trouble 
like that, Hotaru," he remarked.
	"I'm sorry about your shoulder," she said. "Usually 
when I heal it is a painless ritual."
	"I am far from a resident in your world," he answered, 
tilting her face up to his. "Your magik has different 
reactions when met with mine."
	He leaned down and gently kissed her lips. There was a 
passion shared between them, and she felt her strength 
return with his touch, his warmth tingling all through her 
mind, her breasts, her legs.
	Slowly they drew apart. "I thought I had lost you 
there in the valley," he whispered. "I don't want to ever 
go through that hell again."
	"Okami," came another voice.
	He slowly lifted his head, though did not appear as 
much on the defensive as before. She was thankful; she 
recognized that voice, and didn't want him engaging in 
unnecessary battle.
	Two silhouetted figures stood before them.
	"You move fast," one said. It was a woman's voice, and 
a very cold voice at that. But it was one he knew well 
enough to identify without being able to see the face that 
went with it.
	"I'm impressed you found me so quickly, Haruka-san," 
he remarked.
	"My mirror shows me everything, even those hidden 
behind illusions and shadows," the aqua-haired woman said. 
"Your presence is unlike anything I've ever seen; the 
mirror picked you up right away."
	"We're the only creatures save the ghosts who can 
freely cross over," he said with a chuckle.
	"Why are you here anyways?" Michiru asked. "This 
arrival really doesn't seem to concern the Mystwolves at 
all."
	His eyes grew cold, though not towards them. She held 
his hand, felt his grip tighten. That fear of losing her 
was returning. She could sense it.
	"Something has come from the Dreamworld to Earth," he 
stated solemnly. "And before it came here, it slaughtered 
not only my darkpack, but every last of my kind that ever 
roamed our realm. No one was spared save me."
	The two young women exchanged glances. 
	"That chilling cry from last night's dream," the 
sandy-blonde murmured.
	"I'm sorry," the aqua-haired woman said quietly.
	"Feel pity for the creature who did this," he snarled. 
"It will visit hell in its final breaths as I tear it to 
pieces and scatter its blood across both worlds. I am the 
only Mystwolf left now. I alone am left to exact my 
revenge." 
	"It can't be a Shadowdemon," the tall, sandy-blonde 
said. "Karasu told us they were confined to the Dreamworld. 
Raven angels are the same way unless there is 
intervention."
	"Maybe it's a Bogeyman," the aqua-haired one 
countered.
	He shook his head. "No, not Bogeyman nor hobgoblin nor 
Shadowdemon. This one moves differently. This one smells 
differently. This...is something new."
	He chuckled bitterly, his laughter low and dangerous. 
Every part that looked human was countered by the very wolf 
essence that shone through his eyes and reflected through 
his actions. "It fell upon the Darkpacks, and there was 
nothing I could do to stop it."
	"It wasn't your fault," she said, trying to comfort 
him, to let her be to him what the odango-haired blonde had 
been to her in that lonely and dark hour.
	The sandy-blonde turned to the aqua-haired woman. 
"This could be a very clever trap. Can Karasu verify this?"
	"The Wanderer has disappeared again like the ghost he 
is," he cut in, his voice still possessing that wolf-like 
growl. "He could be in the volcano's underground catacombs 
for all I know. He doesn't carry a scent like the other 
creatures."
	"We should find the others," the aqua-haired woman 
said. "Perhaps the guardians can help in identifying this 
new enemy."
	"Where do you think we should start?" the sandy blonde 
inquired.
	"We can all meet at Rei's shrine," she said weakly. 
"That is where they usually come together regardless."
	"My car's just at the edge of the park," the sandy-
blonde said, kneeling down next to her with an outstretched 
hand. "I'll carry you there, Hotaru-chan."
	"No!" he snapped, gripping the sandy-blonde's wrist. 
	His sudden hostility took the women aback. He slowly 
rose to his feet, helping her up before scooping her up in 
his arms. In her weakened condition she could do little to 
protest. 
	"I will carry her," he stated. 


	She had regained most of her strength by the time the 
convertible was nearing the grounds of the Shinto shrine. 
The aqua-haired woman had contacted the others, who were 
also on their way. 	
	She felt his fingers brush away some bangs of raven 
dark hair away from her face as she gazed down into her 
lap. He was leaning closer to her, and placed his other 
hand on top of hers.
	"Okami-chan," she said. "I want to thank you for what 
you did earlier tonight."
	At the wheel, the sandy-blonde glanced at them in the 
backseat through the rear-view mirror.
	"I used to live for my clan," he said quietly. "for my 
huntbrothers and sisters. Now they are gone, and in their 
place is a vendetta I have sworn to exact."
	There were no tears in his eyes, though she could look 
into his soul and witness the pain he was crying through. 
He had mourned already, and it had now passed.
	"All I have left is you, Hotaru-chan," he stated. "You 
alone are my only reason for existing now. You were ready 
to become our Darkqueen. I ask you now to take up the title 
and the honour. And I swear that my every breath shall be 
dedicated to protecting you."
	She held her breath, staring into his golden eyes. He 
tilted his head, slowly closing his eyes in the hopes of 
once again kissing her. She gently placed her palm on his 
cheek, guiding him closer. And then he jerked back, his 
slitted eyes flashing in the streetlight.
	"Wait!" he snapped. "It's here. I can smell it!"
	He released his restraint, standing up.
	"Okami, will you sit down?" the tall, sandy-blonde 
exclaimed, slowing the car down.
	"It's laying in wait for another attack," he snarled. 
"I won't let it happen again. This time it's mine!"
	Suddenly he was catapulted from the moving vehicle of 
his own magik, soaring past the convertible and landing 
upon the stone dividers that marked the tiered landscape. 
	"Okami!" she called out, straining to see him. All she 
found was a brief shadow that threw itself into the tangle 
of trees and disappeared.
	"Okami!" the sandy-blonde exclaimed angrily. 
"Shimatta. We have to put a leash on that guy."
	"I think he would simply chew through it," the aqua-
haired one replied. 


	They walked together, arm in arm, towards the sign 
proclaiming: FIRE RIVE TEMPLE. The long-haired blonde 
sighed contently, leaning against the shoulder of the raven 
knight.
	"Strange getting a call to come to the temple so late 
at night," he mulled. "And by Michiru-san of all people."
	"You know what they say, Ki-chan," she said with a 
vivacious smile. "Absence of your heart will kill you!"
	With a sigh, the raven knight said, "That's 'absence 
makes the heart grow fonder', Minako-chan."
	The she giggled, embarrassed.
	Abruptly Kishi paused, turning back at the empty 
street as if searching something out amidst the deserted 
road and its shadows.
	"Ki-chan?" she asked.
	Sapphire eyes narrowed. "There's something out here."
	Suddenly a volley of violet light exploded from the 
darkness, striking Kishi in the chest. The long-haired 
blonde cried out as he was sent crashing into the stone 
wall, held in place and continually being pushed further 
into the rock.
	He gasped as the stones shattered more, blood dripping 
from the cuts all across his body. Beneath matted bangs of 
moss green hair, two sapphire eyes narrowed. 
	"Mi...na...ko," he gasped.
	Laughter filled the air. It was a woman's laughter, 
harsh and evil, laced with desires of death and 
destruction. A bizarre silhouette emerged, pulsating with 
dark violet hues, advancing towards Kishi.
	 "How ironic," a woman's voice remarked. "that the 
turncoat demon will be the first."
	"Stop!" she shouted. Magik had transformed a regular 
outfit into a sailor battle fuku, and bestowed unto the 
long-haired blonde ancient powers of another life. 
	"I am the soldier of love and justice," she exclaimed. 
"I will not have you hurting my boyfriend just when we were 
getting romantic! I am Sailor Venus!"
	The woman turned, and two eyes of hatred glared at 
her. "I remember you," the voice hissed. 
	Suddenly another attack struck the long-haired blonde, 
throwing her into the side of a parked car. The windows 
shattered, the car's frame--and guardrail in front of it-
dented upon collision. The long-haired blonde whimpered, 
collapsing onto the sidewalk, head hung low.
	The woman's form began to become more defined, long 
strands of dark hair billowing out in the night winds. The 
spectre moved towards Kishi, a hand opening up towards him.
	"What...are you?" the raven knight demanded through 
gasps of air.
	The guardian was only met with laughter. "First you 
shall die. And then your soulmate with the blonde hair 
shall follow you."
	Kishi let out a silent scream, forcefully ejected from 
the wall and hurled across the sidewalk into the guardrail 
as well, the raven knight falling at the feet of the long-
haired blonde.
	Both were breathing, but still.
	The woman laughed cruelly. "Pathetic fools."
	And then something exploded through the air, striking 
the ground mere inches from the woman's body. The pulsating 
aura whisked the woman away to a safer distance as the 
sidewalk blew like a geyser of stones and magik.
	It rained down dust and rock shards as a young man 
slowly lifted his hand from the epicentre of the crater and 
rose from his crouched stance. Two slitted cat's eyes 
flashed at the woman.
	"Your fight is against me, you bitch," he snarled, his 
 tongue running along his fangs.
	"Mystwolf," the woman's voice hissed.
	He crouched low, his body arching. "I will never let 
you hurt Hotaru-sama." 
	"Baka," the woman snapped. "You would have been safer 
back in the Dreamworld."
	He was knocked aside by a blast of magik, crashing 
into a telephone pole. That barely even seemed to faze him; 
a second later he lunged for the woman's shadowy form. Yet 
he was met with nothing. Whirling he saw the spectre 
looming over the raven knight and the long-haired blonde.
	"To make Hotaru feel pain, I do not have to touch her 
right now."
	He hissed, unsheathing his claws. "Touch them, and it 
will be the last thing you ever do."
	Suddenly he was hurled backwards, smashing into the 
wall. The crushing force pushed him further into the stone, 
threatening to have his body implode. With an enraged howl 
he fought but was held back.
	The shadow of the woman cackled once more, reaching 
out for the head of the long-haired blonde. "Sayonara, Aino 
Minako."
	And then came a new attacks:
	"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
	The woman's form rippled with dark energy as the magik 
struck. Seconds later the frothing blade of a scythe tried 
to cleave the spectre in half. The shadowy silhouette 
dissipated, but was not destroyed. Instead only that same 
harsh laughter was left to echo across the street.
	He grunted as the crushing grip on his body was 
released, and he fell onto his knees. Slowly he stared up 
at those who had intervened.
	The tall brunette stood there, ready to launch another 
attack. And only a few steps away was the masquerade 
wraith, the Tsunami scythe poised for a second strike. And 
there were others too, converging upon this place.
	"Okami-chan!" a familiar voice cried out.
	His eyes found her racing up to him, embracing him. He 
wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. Her hair 
still smelled of the hotsprings where they had met for many 
nights in another realm. 
	"Don't you ever do that again," she scolded.
	He glanced past her, to the couple injured before he 
could arrive. A grim silence reigned over them all.
	The dark-haired shrine girl grimaced, gently touching 
the bloodied face of the long-haired blonde. "We need to 
take them inside immediately."


	She felt her stomach tightening up as the dark-haired 
shrine girl and the shrine protege emerged from the private 
room. Inside the long-haired blonde and the raven knight 
were recovering.
	"They'll survive," the shrine protege said. "But they 
were both busted up pretty badly. Whatever attacked did so 
with no hesitation or mercy."
	They were all in an adjoining room now, seated and 
staring at each other. The odango-haired blonde was finding 
comfort in the arms of the dark-haired prince. The raven 
angel was kneeling on the floor next to the tall brunette, 
their hands clasped together. The blue-haired genius was 
but a few steps from the masquerade wraith, who had opened 
another fusama and was staring out at the Shinto shrine 
grounds. Apart from everyone else, the sandy blonde and the 
aqua-haired woman leaned against different sides of a 
wooden beam, arms crossed over their chests. 
	She, though, was like the odango-haired blonde, 
seeking refuge in the arms of her Mystwolf. She felt warm 
in his arms, strangely though comfortably distant from all 
this. He was her only sanctuary, and by his own words he 
had sworn to protect her.
	"First the Mystwolves, and now us," the tall brunette 
said. "It's attacking everyone we value most."
	"No," he countered, his eyes fixating on her. "It's 
attacking everyone she values most. The first pain it 
wishes her to feel is the pain of her friends."
	"Then this is personal," the sandy-blonde stated. 
"Someone wants Hotaru to feel genuine torture."
	She shuddered, staring down at the floor. This was all 
her fault, then. She squeezed his hand, and smiled despite 
her tension when he shifted his body to become like a 
second skin around her.
	"But what could hold such a hatred towards her, and 
still possess enough magik to cross between worlds?" the 
raven angel asked. "Has anyone ever felt this aura before?"
	The masquerade wraith walked over to her, extending a 
hand. "Okami, is there anything you can tell us about it 
from your fight."
	Coldly he slapped the hand away, hissing.
	"Hey," the masquerade wraith snapped. "I'm only trying 
to help, Okami. It's after us too and I for one am not 
going to just simply let it come."
	He seemed to bristle defensively, though said nothing 
in response. She felt his grip around her protectively 
tighten, and reached back to touch his cheek as he nestled 
his head into the base of her neck.
	The masquerade wraith turned away, moving towards the 
open partition that would take them to the December night.
	"Where are you going, Meikyu?" the odango-haired 
blonde asked.
	Meikyu cracked a dark smile. "Hunting."
	"Wait!" the blue-haired genius exclaimed, racing up to 
the wraith. "Meikyu, you don't have to do this. Please, 
don't do this."
	"Daijobu, Ami-chan," Meikyu said caressing the blue-
haired genius' cheek. "I've always come back, haven't I?"
	She held her breath as abruptly her Mystwolf released 
her, and rose. 
	"I shall go with you," he said, surprising everyone.
	"Okami-chan," she whispered. "Neither of you have to 
do this." Her eyes trembled at the thought of being alone 
again, of being left to pain and sadness. 
	"Look," the masquerade wraith stated. "Either we 
search this thing out now, or it will attack us one by one 
until it gets to Hotaru...or Ami-chan." Meikyu turned to 
him. "I would be honoured to hunt with a Mystwolf, Okami-
san. Let's kill it together."
	He stalked past the wraith. "No. Only I kill it. You 
can wound it all you like, but I shall be the one who kills 
it."
	"As you like," Meikyu said, exchanging looks with the 
raven angel.
	He turned, kneeling down before her. "Hotaru," he said 
quietly. "Believe me when I say that I would walk through 
the fires of hell to protect you. But that thing's out 
there in the city, and I cannot rest until I know it's 
destroyed. If I have offended you, my queen, please forgive 
me."
	With one last kiss to her cheek he followed the wraith 
to the partition. The two slipped out, Meikyu closing the 
fusama behind them. 
	She lowered her head.
	"He was willing to exact revenge even when it meant 
leaving Hotaru all alone," the tall brunette fumed. "What 
kind of a guardian does that?"
	"One who is torn between duties," the dark-haired 
prince answered. "But he still trusted us enough to leave 
Hotaru in our care. With all the rest of us here, she 
should be safe."
	"When a Mystwolf is angered," the raven angel said. 
"nothing short of death can stop it. That's why the 
Bogeymen attack in large groups, and why hobgoblins stay 
far away. That is why raven angels and Shadowdemons pay 
them respect. To tangle with one is to pick a fight with 
every last Mystwolf alive."
	"But he is the last Mystwolf alive," the dark-haired 
shrine girl said.
	"And that makes him all the more dangerous," she said 
quietly, staring at the closed fusama. "Okami, be careful."


	She stared out at the darkened skies of the winter 
night, at the deserted courtyard of the Shinto shrine 
grounds. His eyes seemed to shimmer amidst the twinkling 
stars, in behind the shadows of the trees.
	The voice of the odango-haired blonde rose up for a 
moment, and she glanced back at her friends through the 
fusama. The others were inside, some caring over the long-
haired blonde and the raven knight, others talking about 
this new enemy. She had wished to be alone; she had to 
gather her thoughts, her emotions.
	"Okami," she said quietly, her deep violet eyes 
lowering to the cobblestone ground.
	How many times had she actually spoken to him that she 
loved him? Perhaps it was reflected in her eyes whenever 
she was in his embrace. But his devotion went beyond words 
and actions. She could feel it radiate from his body 
whenever he was near her, a secure magik that enclosed her 
in gentle howlsongs and Mystwolf lullabies.
	Once, what seemed now to have been an eternity ago, he 
had asked her to be his darkqueen, the Empress over all his 
kind. No mortal from Earth had ever been asked that; it was 
her honour--and thus her responsibility.
	Now he was all she had left from the Dreamworld, and 
he was trying to protect her by stalking something that 
seemed bent on making her suffer. But why?
	"He's mine...." a woman's voice whispered to her.
	She spun around, suddenly on the defensive. But all 
she saw was the eerie shadows of a darkened night. "Who's 
there?" she demanded.
	Only that taunting laugh came in response, cruel and 
scornful towards her. "He's walking into my trap, and soon 
his royal wolf's blood will decorate my robes. Can you stop 
them, Tomoe Hotaru? Can you stop me?"
	And for a moment she saw images explode into her mind: 
a devastated street, the masquerade wraith's broken body 
laying in the shadows of a shattered window, a stranger 
bearing the mark of a lost soul.
	More would suffer unless she made a stand. 
	She quietly slid the fusama shut behind her. "Gomen 
nasai, minna," she whispered. "But this is after me, and I 
have to stop it."
	She was no longer a child, dependant on everyone else 
to protect her. This was her responsibility, and she would 
fight alongside Okami to protect them all.


	The streets of Tokyo were busy at this evening hour, 
yet not as busy as they would have been a littler earlier 
on. Amidst a large crowd of people waiting to cross the 
street, two souls were hunting.
	"I can feel it," he said, either purrs or growls 
escaping with his words. The masquerade wraith could feel 
his thrill for exacting revenge rise within his voice. His 
slitted eyes flashed once again, and a few people seemed 
hesitant to stay near him.
	The crossing signal appeared, and the crowds began to 
file across the street. But the masquerade wraith stayed 
back, instead moving out to the centre of the intersection.
	"You can't hide from us," Meikyu stated icily, slowly 
turning to the shadows there. "I've seen every trick a 
creature of evil can perform, so I can feel your presence a 
mile away."
	The shadows of the street began to pulsate, possessed 
with sudden new life. The pedestrians started to whisper in 
confusion and fear as these shadows came swarming together 
to form a black cloud of darkness. 
	From within the cloud the silhouette of a woman 
appeared. Two eyes of hatred pierced the darkness, glaring 
at them. "So you know all my tricks?" laughed a voice. 
"Well let's see how you deal with this one...Meikyu."
	Meikyu's eyes widened as the shadow flung a car--an 
occupied one. The wraith exploded into the air, opening the 
living ocean mask to become lost in the mystic waters that 
carried the guardian through the vehicle like a ghost. When 
Meikyu emerged, the driver was in Meikyu's arms, being 
carried with the waves.
	The car smashed on top of another parked car, crushing 
the rooftop. There was the loud sound of twisting metal and 
shattered glass.
	Meikyu slowly rose after gently laying the woman out 
of the line of fire. "You're playing just a little too 
rough!" 
	He leaped into the air, landing next to Meikyu. "This 
creature likes to play dirty," he said. "She seems to live 
for it. In fact, I'm impressed that she seems to know all 
our names--even the ones of the Earth warriors."
	Another car was lifted into the air, hovering and 
poised to fly somewhere new. He shouted in fury as the car 
was flung at him, throwing out his arms as the 
undercarriage struck his body, dragging him across the 
street and grinding him into the side of the building.
	"Okami!" Meikyu exclaimed, whirling towards the 
woman's shadow. "Damn you!"
	The woman laughed. "Come now, Hunter. Do you really 
believe you can win?"
	Suddenly the mangled body of the car bounced across 
the roadway between them, leaving behind it a sickening 
echo of grinding metal against asphalt. The hole gouged 
into the side of the building revealed him to be still 
alive.
	There he stood, his golden eyes burning with intense 
rage at the shadow. The jacket was gone, torn to shreds. 
Even his shirt and pants were torn in a numerous places, 
bleeding. Yet the Mystwolf seemed oblivious to his wounds. 
Fists clenched, lips curled back to display his twin sets 
of fangs, his battle aura of crackling silver energy 
swarmed around his body.
	He glanced down at his left shoulder, grotesquely 
contorted and out of shape. The collision had dislocated 
it. Of his own will the Mystwolf jerked back his shoulder, 
setting it into joint with a hideous pop. The pain was too 
intense, and he threw back his head to unleash a bellow 
that shattered the windows behind him.
	"She's mine, wraith!" he snapped, stalking towards 
them.
	The woman laughed, and with another wave of a hand yet 
another car flung itself at him. But this time the Mystwolf 
stayed his ground, pushing back and actually holding the 
vehicle at bay.
	"Tenacious fool," the woman remarked, making another 
rapid gesture. Abruptly the car gained more force and tried 
to crush him into the road. 
	"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Meikyu snapped, the 
scythe appearing. The masquerade wraith smashed the scythe 
blade into the road, and a deadly wave of the tsunami's 
powers tore up the asphalt as it charged towards the woman.
	With a contemptuous laugh the silhouette made a simple 
gesture, dispelling the attack. "Was that the best you 
could do?" cackled the voice.
	"Shimatta," Meikyu hissed.
	And then a volley of blak magik converged, pummelling 
Meikyu with enough force that the wraith was thrown from 
the road, hurled into the air. He watched grimly as 
Meikyu's body collided with a telephone booth, tearing 
apart the wooden fram